Effects of Corporal Punishment on Girl's Enrolment and Retention in the Techiman Municipality

Abstract

School corporal punishment is administered within schools, when pupils’/students are punished by teachers or school administrators for going against rules and regulations. The goal of punishment in the schools is to decrease the behaviour that it follows. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of corporal punishment on girls’ enrolment and retention in schools in the Techiman Municipality using six selected schools in the municipality which is located in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana. Descriptive survey research design which falls under quantitative research design was used with a sample size of 120 junior high school pupils selected from six (6) public schools. Questionnaire was the main instrument used in this study. The findings revealed that corporal punishment had both positive and negative effects on students. The findings also indicated that physical punishment made some students stop school, therefore, it was inferred that corporal punishment affect girls’ enrolment and retention in schools. It is thus recommended that the Ghana Education Service (GES) in the Techiman Municipality organises or conduct awareness workshops and seminars about the effects of corporal punishment on learners for both students and teachers.