Well, if you throw out the hickory stick and all other forms of physical punishment in school, it has been proven that the graduates of that school are harder workers, kinder, more fair, and more honest than if you continue with that hickory stick thing. And if you can name a public school in this country that has done away with reading, writing and arithmetic, please do so. I'd like to know about it. I've heard about many schools that no longer teach history (so now we are repeating some bad mistakes) and have quit teaching life skills like balancing a checkbook, anger management, responsibility for one's actions, etc. But I think "the three R's" are still taught everywhere.