I don’t think I agree with it but many older people I have spoken to about it are all for it even though they themselves got the cane when they were at school. This makes me wonder, if they feel it did them good in the long run is it such a bad thing?
My dad is one of these people. He was caned at school (in the 60’s) for graffiting a bookshelf in the library (he wrote “Saints for the cup” and as he was one of very few Southampton Football Club supporters in the whole school, it wasn’t hard for the teachers to find out who the culprit was. Doofus!) and he says that, although he didn’t enjoy being punished in this was, he is glad he was because he learnt to think of consequences and take responsibility for his actions. Of course I am biased but I can genuinly say that my dad is one of the most wonderful men I have ever met. He is respectful and kind to everyone he meets and, despite the odd caning, he says that he thoroughly enjoyed his school days and never looks back on it with bitterness. My brother and I were smacked as children (by our parents, not the schools) if we were badly behaved but it was a rare occasion because we knew what the consequences were (although my brother pushed the boundaries more than I did).
Anyway, I definately think that kids get away with far more nowadays than they did when my dad was at school and the worst thing is, they all know that there are no major consequences for their actions and so they continue because no ones going to stop them.
I believe that there definately needs to be stronger consequences for bad behaviour in schools but despite my dads (and other people who experienced corporal punishment in their school) opinion I don’t know whether this kind of physical punishment is the answer. Kids NEED boundaries but what thos boundaries shoud be, I don’t know.