Whack O!
There is a debate on the TES website about bringing back the cane. This reflects a genuine concern over discipline in schools and about the increasing alienation of pupils. Nevertheless most of the posters oppose the cane.
There is a simple moral argument. Can you teach me violence is wrong by caning me?

There are also some practical objections.

1) Would you cane girls as well as boys?
2) Would you cane the children whose parents objected to caning? Worse would you let them get away without caning and only punish those whose parents liked the idea of you hitting their children?
3) How do you deal with the children for whom getting caned is a badge of courage?
4) How would you deal with those for whom caning is a turn-on? Would it really be a punishment for them?

Nobody in their right mind has ever called me a liberal do-gooder and if you think I don't believe in discipline ask my class before you make any such unfortunate assumptions :)


I was caned once for drawing a cartoon. It was an all boys school and the rather short deputy head used to enthusiastically administer the canings. My experience was that the hard cases at our school who used to bully other boys used to get the cane regularly and saw it as a badge of courage.

They were all Crystal Palace supporters - mark you I draw no conclusions!