In a recent discussion with members of the public, Mike Pence sat down with a number of Iowans to answer various questions. One of them put to him was by a former Polk County school teacher who asked him how to control a classroom after a rise in violence against teachers by rogue schoolkids. Pence gave an answer that may have raised eyebrows among some as he called for ‘discipline’ in schools.

Here is what he said: “The nuns knew how to get the paddle out and we deserved it. I guarantee you, I deserved it more times than I got it. I think traditional discipline returning to our schools as opposed to flooding our kids with Ritalin and other behavior modification chemicals makes more sense to me.”

For more details of the interview, the video can be seen here on Youtube.

He also took inspiration from the bible and added that he believed in the mantra of ‘spare the rod spoil the child.’ This is the idea that physical punishment towards children is a good deterrent against bad behavior and also instills discipline. This week, Pence was in Iowa as part of his campaign trail.

Unfortunately for Pence, many see this as a dated view of punishment and believe it to be inhumane. Nonetheless, there are still numerous states where this is legal.