To cane or not? Debate rumbles on
Caning in UK schools was a hot topic for decades before it was eventually outlawed in 1987. The ban was a long time coming: a trial-blazer was London where corporal punishment was banned in 1973.
Here are a couple of thoughtful newspaper
articles from 1971 giving the pros and cons of the ban. It seems the group most
in favour of keeping the stick were teachers, who, it was said, were worried
about dealing with older pupils who didn’t want to be at school.
They are followed by readers’ letters on
the subject.
As
published in the Huddersfield Daily Examiner, 22 December 1971
As
published in the Huddersfield Daily Examiner, 31 December 1971
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I assume he is just about to bend over that chair. I wonder how he offended and hope he takes it well. I think he will, he looks serious.
ReplyDeleteThat's two nice looking teenagers one after the other. But that watch in the waistcoat looks a bit old-fashioned.
DeleteA fascinating set of newspaper articles, as always.
ReplyDeleteYes, the debate was still in newspapers when I was at school in the late 1970s and the early part of the 1980s.
I recently found out from my older sister (by 18 months) there were still canings happening in the junior school we both went to in the early 80s.- which was real surprise to me (we had different teachers).
My stepsister went to boarding school and was caned twice. I got her to describe it to me in minute detail. Don’t think she understood was I was so interested.
Delete