I really don’t know what American classrooms are like today.  But I remember what they were like attending school in small town America in the 1950s. I don’t recall a Bible read in class, but we did start every day off with a prayer led by the teacher, and a pledge of allegiance to the American flag (and everyone said it). There was absolutely no disrespect shown in the classroom. And if there was, the principal or a male teacher wielded a board with holes in it your direction (I have multiple personal remembrances of “The Board”).

There was a dress code every child was required to observe. Girls had to wear skirts or dresses (below the knees), and boys had to wear buttoned shirts or sweaters, and jeans were not tolerated. There were no hats worn inside the building. And teachers were our examples: And all male teachers wore a tie. Teachers were always referred to Mr., Mrs., or Miss.

And a student’s greatest fear was that his/her parent would find out they had gotten into trouble. My parents assured me that if I ever got paddled at school, I would get another one when I got home. And I was more afraid of my Dad’s discipline than I was of Mr. Myers’.

My strict school upbringing helped prepare me for dealing with God when I got older. Because I can’t play games with God like I did in school. I’m not suggesting we go back to the ‘Good Old Days’, but I do think we’ve done our children a great disservice by making discipline something foreign to them. Do you agree or disagree?