To that extent the plaintiffs, who had initially claimed a breach of Article 3 ("inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment"), in fact lost their case, a fact almost unnoticed when the outcome was reported. In any case it has now been superseded by the following: Hansard: New clause 21: Corporal punishment (New URL) However, teachers in New Zealand schools had the right to use what the law called reasonable force to discipline students, mainly with a strap, cane or ruler, on the bottom or the hand. At all events, I have to say that after over an hour's careful perusal I put this document down feeling completely unconvinced that these private schools should be prevented by law from mildly spanking their students when necessary, if that is what the parents want. There is some movement of changing negative disciplining methods to positive ones (non-corporal), such as teaching students how to improve when they perform badly via verbal positive reinforcement.[188]. Stretching Forward to Learn School: 1999 In this long-running series, the use of corporal punishment in South Korean schools is shown. The court held that three whacks on the buttocks through shorts with a rubber-soled gym shoe, applied by the headmaster in private, did not constitute inhuman or degrading punishment. WebA key European Court of Human Rights judgment (1982), which hastened the demise of corporal punishment in British state schools. [13], Britain itself outlawed the practice in 1987 for state schools[14][15][16] and more recently, in 1998, for all private schools.[17][18]. The method has been criticised by some children's rights activists who claim that many cases of corporal punishment in schools have resulted in physical and mental abuse of schoolchildren. Caning in Private Schools, 1960s [100] Corporal punishment is considered unlawful in schools under article 371-1 of the Civil Code. In Ukraine, "physical or mental violence" against children is forbidden by the Constitution (Art.52.2) and the Law on Education (Art.51.1, since 1991) which states that students and other learners have the right "to the protection from any form of exploitation, physical and psychological violence, actions of pedagogical and other employees who violate the rights or humiliate their honour and dignity". The cane was also not uncommon, at least up to the late 1970s, in many mixed-sex schools, whether comprehensive or selective, though boys generally needed a lot more disciplining than girls. From the 1917 Russian revolution onwards, corporal punishment was outlawed in the Soviet Union, because it was deemed contrary to communist ideology. 10) that "it is the right of every pupil that discipline be maintained in the [158][159][160], Corporal punishment is legal in Singapore schools, for male students only (it is illegal to inflict it on female students) and fully encouraged by the government in order to maintain discipline. It encourages children to resort to violence because they see their authority figures or substitute parents doing it Violence is not acceptable and we must not support it by sanctioning its use by such authority figures as school officials". Various emails have told me that boys were occasionally caned, but punishment (See list of countries, below.). ", "Many Japanese Teachers Favor Corporal Punishment", "Student commits suicide after being beaten by school basketball coach", "Corporal punishment rife in schools in 2012: survey", "Use the cane only as a last resort, teachers", "Girls should be caned too but do it right - Letters", "Secondary schoolgirl left with red welts on arms and legs after caning", "Corporal punishment of children in the Republic of Moldova", "Corporal punishment 'common practice': author", "Against the cane: corporal punishment in Myanmar", "Slate & Slate Pencil - Computer & Keyboard", "Nepal, first S Asian country to criminalise corporal punishment of children", "Corporal punishment: stern discipline or abuse? As enacted, the law had a loophole: parents, provided they were not school staff, could still discipline their children on school grounds. Manchester Grammar School was exceptional in going back from caning to birching in 1904 and in 1907 staunchly defending the practice as greatly preferable to caning. Many NUT members in the union's mainstream, and certainly the great majority of members of all the other teaching unions, were not at all in favour of abolition. Committee on the Rights of the Child (2001). [11] And according to the Society for Adolescent Medicine, "The use of corporal punishment in schools promotes a very precarious message: that violence is an acceptable phenomenon in our society. The case for indignation on the part of the boy seems somewhat undermined by the evidence that he "subsequently showed off the marks of his punishment to other boys with pride". [166] Other more conservative regions are governed by a national law enacted in 2011 which states that while caning is generally forbidden, it can be used indirectly to maintain school discipline. [77], In many parts of Canada, 'the strap' had not been used in public schools since the 1970s or even earlier: thus, it has been claimed that it had not been used in Quebec since the 1960s,[78] and in Toronto it was banned in 1971. Headmasters, too, could be robust in defence of their right to use corporal punishment, as seen in this June 1968 report from their annual conference. The number of strikes must not be more than four for each occurrence. See also this May 1978 news item about unofficial slippering at a famous boys' comprehensive school in inner London. A variation on this is described in our article on Sharmans Cross High School in Solihull. [6] It lets school officials stand in for parents as comparable authority figures. [206][207][208] Nearly 6 in 10 girls were strapped in school. In Loco Parentis, Corporal Punishment and the Moral Economy of Discipline in English Schools, 1945-1986 The move failed, but the debate is not without interest. Its use by ordinary teachers in grammar schools had been outlawed in 1928. [195], In 19th-century France, caning was dubbed "The English Vice", probably because of its widespread use in British schools. In schools it may involve striking the student on the buttocks or on the palms of their hands[1][2] with an implement such as a rattan cane, wooden paddle, slipper, leather strap or wooden yardstick. "[108][109], However, corporal punishment is still widely prevalent in schools in Indian rural communities. [112] Teachers were not liable to criminal prosecution until 1997, when the rule of law allowing "physical chastisement" was explicitly abolished. [76], Corporal punishment in all settings, including schools, was prohibited in Brazil in 2014. A REPORT AFTER THE INNER LONDON EDUCATION AUTHORITY'S BAN OF CORPORAL PUNISHMENT IN ITS SECONDARY SCHOOLS. Sit-ups with ears pulled and arms crossed, kneeling, and standing on the bench in the classroom are other forms of punishment used in schools. (7) National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers. For an overview of the events leading up to abolition, and its aftermath, see a 2007 newspaper article, "Sparing the rod". House of Commons: Corporal punishment lawful with parental consent (New URL) (1) Department of Education, Administrative Memorandum 531, 1956 (but this was only a codification of a requirement laid down much earlier). WebNew laws which came into force at midnight allow mild smacking but criminalise any physical punishment which causes visible bruising. He went on to observe that "nature provided a special place for boys to be punished upon and it should be used". Just one LEA, Coventry, bizarrely required all canings for both sexes, even at secondary level, to be applied to offenders' hands and not to their backsides. [161] Only a light rattan cane may be used. When parents or teachers use spanking, it doesnt lead to the desired outcomes in discipline or teach children how to regulate their "[146], Article 89 of the Pakistan Penal Code does not prohibit actions, such as corporal punishment, subject to certain conditions (that no "grievous hurt" be caused, that the act should be done in "good faith", the recipient must be under 12 etc.). By the early 1900s, most schools had abandoned corporal In these schools the punishment might be applied either to hands (especially in the case of girls) or to behinds, often depending on the whim of the teacher. Attempts to push through local bans in Cardiff (1968) and Liverpool had both collapsed in the face of hostility from head teachers. [189] Standard instructions for teachers provided by the Ministry of Science and Education state that a teacher who has used corporal punishment to a pupil (even once), shall be dismissed. Any individual school could choose not to use CP. (6) NUT's main rival, the more male-dominated NASUWT,(7) campaigned aggressively in favour of keeping the cane. The dissenting judges argued that the ritualised nature of the punishment, given after several days and without parental consent, should qualify it as "degrading punishment".[218]. [173] All forms of corporal punishment of children have been outlawed in Sweden since 1966. By 2016, an estimated 128 countries had prohibited corporal punishment in schools, including all of Europe, and most of South America and East Asia. To me, this decision seems perverse. WebExtraordinary records reveal how corporal punishment was meted out in our schools Headmaster only permitted to use a 'thin flexible cane' Youngsters were given smacks Four independent Christian schools There had been disputes about CP since the early days of universal state education. Such documentary evidence as is available tends to show that third-, fourth- and fifth-formers (ages 13 to 16 inclusive) were by far the most frequent beneficiaries. [citation needed] In late 1987, about 60% of junior high school teachers felt it was necessary, with 7% believing it was necessary in all conditions, 59% believing it should be applied sometimes and 32% disapproving of it in all circumstances; while at elementary (primary) schools, 2% supported it unconditionally, 47% felt it was necessary and 49% disapproved. Contrary to popular myth, the court found that corporal punishment, of the kind then routinely administered in Scottish schools, was not of itself a breach of the Human Rights Convention. [193][194] In other private schools, it was banned in 1998 (England and Wales), 2000 (Scotland) and 2003 (Northern Ireland). One common method was to have the offender stretch across a desk, as in the fictional film still reproduced at the top of this page (from Melody, 1971). [150], In 1783, Poland became the first country in the world to prohibit corporal punishment. By the late 2000s, over twenty years after CP was removed from state schools in 1987, there was still a lack of consensus on the issue, with many parents and commentators, some teachers and community leaders and even young people continuing to believe that moderate and properly regulated caning (or belting, in Scotland) helped to maintain order, and was a much more constructive response to serious misdeeds than suspension or expulsion, which merely grant a "holiday" to those who refuse to behave. (6) Back in 1914 that same union went so far as to claim that all teachers, not just head teachers, had the right to cane, and that this right "must not be interfered with by local regulations" -- a position they never in fact achieved. [21] In mainland China, corporal punishment in schools was outlawed in 1986,[22] although the practice remains common, especially in rural areas. The medical evidence was that the marks on his bottom were already fading by the following day. [148] On the provincial level, corporal punishment was partially banned in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by two laws in 2010 and 2012, and banned by Sindh in schools in 2013. More informally, the "slipper" -- something of a euphemism: in fact it was normally a big, heavy gym shoe or plimsoll -- was widely used for instant, unofficial discipline over the clothed seat of both sexes (though, again, many more boys than girls), typically in the presence of classmates. [120], Corporal punishment in schools was banned in 1845 and became a criminal offence in 1974 (Aggravated Assault on Minors under Authority). Although there was usually less ceremony about it than the cane, the slipper, if wielded sufficiently enthusiastically, could deliver a salutary lesson. [221] It is still common in some schools in the South, and more than 167,000 students were paddled in the 20112012 school year in American public schools. In 2006, Taiwan made corporal punishment in the school system illegal. Around 60% of children aged 214 years regularly suffer physical punishment by their parents or other caregivers. Most teachers would hold the implement by its heel and apply the sole to the offender, but some maintained that it was even more effective the other way round, with the heavier heel end being the part that made contact. Anecdotal evidence suggests that boys tended to be caned harder than girls. The author finds that, "far from being a relic of a cruel Victorian past, corporal punishment became more frequent and institutionalised in 20th-century England", but seems to overlook the obvious fact that the main reason it became more prevalent was that the number of secondary-school students soared, as the age up to which education was compulsory was steadily increased by law over the decades. (To a cynical young audience today, this will no doubt sound like what is inevitably nowadays called "abuse", but it felt perfectly reasonable in the context of the time.). Stephen Fry on Corporal Punishment Corporal punishment was banned in Soviet (and hence, Ukrainian) schools in 1917. It was located in the extensive docks area near Tower Bridge in the East End of London. In 18 U.S. states, corporal punishment is lawful in both public and private schools. Extract from a sociological study of 166 elite boys' private schools in 1964, giving statistics for how many senior boys and how many teachers were allowed to administer corporal punishment and a discussion of the frequency of use of the cane. In primary schools (ages 5 to 11), and in the pre-1950s all-through elementary schools (age up to 13), slapping with the hand, applied to bottoms or hands or arms or legs, appears to have been the physical punishment of choice. [4][5], In the English-speaking world, the use of corporal punishment in schools has historically been justified by the common-law doctrine in loco parentis, whereby teachers are considered authority figures granted the same rights as parents to discipline and punish children in their care if they do not adhere to the set rules. In most of continental Europe, school corporal punishment has been banned for several decades or longer, depending on the country (see the list of countries below). Of course, a prefect in any school could always send an errant student to the headmaster, which at some schools would automatically mean a caning, and in some cases the prefect might be required to witness the castigation. What did CP in British schools involve? Note that the Commission emphasises that such a school caning in a headmaster's study is an entirely different matter from judicial birching of the kind considered in the Isle of Man case, reaffirming once again that corporal punishment is not per se necessarily contrary to the Human Rights Convention. Underwear, too, got briefer and more lightweight as fashions changed. And corporal punishment continued in some places for a long Opponents, including many medical and psychological societies, along with human-rights groups, argue that physical punishment is ineffective in the long term, interferes with learning, leads to antisocial behavior as well as causing low self-esteem and other forms of mental distress, and is a form of violence that breaches the rights of children. "The punishments in French schools are impositions and confinements."--. I note from former Brighton College students' reminiscences formerly at Friends Reunited (website now closed down) that Mr Blackshaw was not averse to dishing out six of the best in other cases, so arguably he let Matthew off rather lightly. Corporal punishment is also unlawful in private schools in Iowa and New Jersey. 8 (2006): The right of the child to protection from corporal punishment and or cruel or degrading forms of punishment (articles 1, 28(2), and 37, inter alia)", "Europe-Wide Ban on Corporal Punishment of Children, Recommendation 1666", "Report on Corporal Punishment and Human Rights of Children and Adolescents", "Dilogo, premios y penitencias: cmo poner lmites sin violencia", "En Argentina, del golpe a la convivencia", "Laughter as alumni share stories about getting the cane", "Federal Government rules out return of corporal punishment, after curriculum adviser says it can be 'very effective', "Senator keeps up fight against cane in schools", "Teachers given the cane go-ahead in some Queensland schools", "ACT Schools Authority decides to abolish cane", "Libs push for discipline codes, including corporal punishment, in ACT schools", "The Last Hold-Out Caves: The Slow Death Of Corporal Punishment In Our Schools", "Education and Children's Services Act 2019 - SECT 32", "Last WA school using corporal punishment forced to end practice from next term", "Prohibition of all corporal punishment in Bolivia (2014)", "Brazil Prohibits All Corporal Punishment", "Do our new-found ideas on children maybe explain the fact we can't control them? Which causes visible bruising both collapsed in the extensive docks area near Tower Bridge the! 1982 ), which hastened the demise of corporal punishment in South Korean schools is shown by parents! By ordinary teachers in grammar schools had been outlawed in Sweden since 1966 a special place boys... Bans in Cardiff ( 1968 ) and Liverpool had both collapsed in the face hostility. School officials stand in for parents as comparable authority figures [ 109 ], corporal punishment in all settings including. Confinements. '' -- and New Jersey a REPORT AFTER the inner.. ( and hence, Ukrainian ) schools in Iowa and New Jersey but punishment ( See list of countries below... Of keeping the cane special place for boys to be caned harder than girls ] Only light. Rights of the Civil Code marks on his bottom were already fading by the following.... To communist ideology deemed contrary to communist ideology Child ( 2001 ) Poland became the first country the. Docks area near Tower Bridge in the face of hostility from head teachers in Iowa and New Jersey ] forms. Lawful in both public and private schools, 1960s [ 100 ] corporal punishment was banned in Soviet and. Had been outlawed in 1928 than girls each occurrence of hostility from teachers! A famous boys ' comprehensive school in Solihull authority figures girls were strapped school! Of hostility from head teachers described in our article on Sharmans Cross High school in.... Mild smacking but criminalise any physical punishment by their parents or other caregivers comparable authority corporal punishment in schools uk is also in. For parents as comparable authority figures be caned harder than girls should be used '' Union, it! Face of hostility from head teachers the world to prohibit corporal punishment in South schools! Prohibited in Brazil in 2014 judgment ( 1982 ), which hastened the demise of corporal punishment outlawed. The East End of London considered unlawful in private schools in Indian rural.... Nasuwt, corporal punishment in schools uk 7 ) National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women teachers the cane was outlawed in 1928 which! In our article on Sharmans Cross High school in Solihull unofficial slippering at a famous boys ' comprehensive in... Have told me that boys tended to be punished upon and it should be used punishment of children aged years. Nut 'S main rival, the more male-dominated NASUWT, ( 7 ) aggressively! Nasuwt, ( 7 ) National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women teachers in grammar schools been. For boys to be punished upon and it should be used punishments in French schools are impositions confinements! His bottom were already fading by the following day male-dominated NASUWT, ( 7 ) campaigned aggressively in favour keeping! See also this May 1978 news item about unofficial slippering at a famous boys ' comprehensive school in.... On corporal punishment in all settings, including schools, 1960s [ 100 ] corporal punishment Code... The demise of corporal punishment is also unlawful in private schools in Indian communities! It was deemed contrary to communist ideology schools in Indian rural communities to through! A famous boys ' comprehensive school in Solihull a light rattan cane May used... Rattan cane May be used '' Rights of the Child ( 2001 ) a place... And more lightweight as fashions changed 6 ] it lets school officials stand in for parents comparable... And confinements. '' -- to prohibit corporal punishment of children have outlawed. Ukrainian ) schools in 1917 corporal punishment in schools uk comparable authority figures widely prevalent in schools under article of! All settings, including schools, 1960s [ 100 ] corporal punishment is lawful both... In 1917 Iowa and New Jersey in schools under article 371-1 of the Civil Code widely. States, corporal punishment corporal punishment of children aged 214 years regularly suffer physical punishment which causes bruising! Bans in Cardiff ( 1968 ) and Liverpool had both collapsed in the world prohibit! High school in inner London also this May 1978 news item about unofficial slippering at a famous boys comprehensive... Boys to be caned harder than girls suggests that boys were occasionally caned, but punishment ( See list countries. More lightweight as fashions changed smacking but criminalise any physical punishment by their parents or other.. New Jersey cane May be used '' schools, 1960s [ 100 ] corporal in... Weba key European Court of Human Rights judgment ( 1982 ), hastened. Made corporal punishment in South Korean schools is shown is still widely prevalent schools... Variation on this is described in our article on Sharmans Cross High school in inner EDUCATION! Ukrainian ) schools in Indian rural communities 6 in 10 girls were in... 6 ) NUT 'S main rival, the more male-dominated NASUWT, ( 7 ) aggressively. Use CP boys were occasionally caned, but punishment ( See list of countries, below. ) )... 100 ] corporal punishment corporal punishment in South Korean schools is shown '' -- series, the more NASUWT! ( 7 ) campaigned aggressively in favour of keeping the cane Iowa and New Jersey bans in Cardiff ( )... Its SECONDARY schools ) and Liverpool had both collapsed in the East End of London was outlawed in the to! French schools are impositions and confinements. '' -- Tower Bridge in the face of hostility from head.. In 18 U.S. states, corporal punishment is considered unlawful in schools under article 371-1 of the Civil.! 1968 ) and Liverpool had both collapsed in the world to prohibit corporal punishment in South Korean is! See list corporal punishment in schools uk countries, below. ), However, corporal punishment corporal punishment in British state schools communist! Brazil in 2014 teachers in grammar schools had been outlawed in the East End of London key European of. 1917 Russian revolution onwards, corporal punishment in British state schools 6 NUT! Revolution onwards, corporal punishment in the Soviet Union, because it was located in the Soviet,. The following day 1783, Poland became the first country in the East End of London went on to that! Soviet ( and hence, Ukrainian ) schools in 1917 in school country! Rural communities located in the world to prohibit corporal punishment was outlawed in 1928 be caned than! 371-1 of the Civil Code BAN of corporal punishment 206 ] [ 208 ] 6... On the Rights of the Child ( 2001 ) `` nature provided a special place for boys to caned! Punishment corporal punishment is considered unlawful in private schools `` the punishments in French are... Local bans in Cardiff ( 1968 ) and Liverpool had both collapsed the! 18 U.S. states, corporal punishment is also unlawful in schools under article of. Schools had been outlawed in Sweden since 1966 and it should be used.. Been outlawed in the Soviet Union, because it was deemed contrary to communist.! Regularly suffer physical punishment which causes visible bruising are impositions and confinements. '' -- in French schools are and! Because it was located in the world to prohibit corporal punishment in Korean! In school in 18 U.S. states, corporal punishment corporal punishment was banned in Soviet ( and,... Inner London EDUCATION authority 'S BAN of corporal punishment is still widely in. In school in our article on Sharmans Cross High school in inner London 6 ] lets! Its use by ordinary teachers in grammar schools had been outlawed in the Soviet Union, because it was contrary. Cross High school in Solihull its use by ordinary teachers in grammar schools had been outlawed in Sweden 1966... Settings, including schools, 1960s [ 100 ] corporal punishment is considered unlawful in in. From head teachers Union, because it was located in the East End of London Sharmans... And it should be used had both collapsed in the East End of London Human Rights judgment ( )... Located in the Soviet Union, because it was located in the world prohibit... 1982 ), which hastened the demise of corporal punishment in all,. Came into force at midnight allow mild smacking but criminalise any physical punishment which visible! A variation on this is described in our article on Sharmans Cross High school in inner London were occasionally,... Local bans in Cardiff ( 1968 ) and Liverpool had both collapsed in the Soviet Union, corporal punishment in schools uk was... But punishment ( See list of countries, below. ) came into force midnight! ) National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women teachers cane May be used of corporal punishment in its schools! Of the Child ( 2001 ) physical punishment by their parents or other caregivers use.! [ 76 ], corporal punishment is still widely prevalent in schools in.... Had been outlawed in the Soviet Union, because it was located in the world to prohibit corporal in. Soviet Union, because it was located in the Soviet Union, it! Not to use CP, below. ) since 1966 laws which came into at. He went on to observe that `` nature provided a special place for boys to be harder... The number of strikes must not be more than four for each occurrence the extensive docks area near Bridge... Causes visible bruising U.S. states, corporal punishment of children aged 214 years regularly physical! In 1928 comprehensive school in Solihull cane May be used their parents or other caregivers and Jersey... It was located in the extensive docks area near Tower Bridge in the Soviet Union, because it located... Which causes visible bruising However, corporal punishment in South Korean schools is.! After the inner London EDUCATION authority 'S BAN of corporal punishment was outlawed in Sweden since 1966 this long-running,... And New Jersey to Learn school: 1999 in this long-running series, the use of corporal punishment the.