Since corporal punishment was stopped, there has been a marked growth in hooliganism

John Atkins, England

I agree that since corporal punishment was stopped, there has been a marked growth in hooliganism and other crimes. Bring back both corporal punishment and national service, and thereby reduce this downward spiral into the morass of anarchy.
John Atkins, England

So now all these teachers want to take their frustrations out on the children. Let the teachers do a good job of teaching first. As far as unruly students are concerned, the roots lie elsewhere, with parents, society, and exposure popular culture.
Vijay Rajanala, USA

Violence against children is unacceptable in a civilised society

Mike, UK

This is a clear case of violent right wing Christian organisations abusing the human rights of the children in their care. Violence against children is unacceptable in a civilised society.
Mike, UK

It is all very well for parents to denounce corporal punishment in classrooms but until they have had to cope with a few out of control students who continually disrupt classes, I say be quiet. I was the recipient of several lashings in school in Scotland and I fully deserved them. One day, when the whole class was snickering upon my painful return to my desk, the light came on. I didn't care about the physical pain, there were ways to alleviate that, but it was the humiliation that was unbearable.

Suffice to say, I had a rapid turnaround. I ended up deputy head girl and knuckled down and did what I was supposed to do - study. School in England was a different proposition entirely. Boys received canings, girls received detention. This was a gross inequity that should not have been tolerated. I should point out that my parents fully endorsed corporal punishment because teachers were to be looked up to and obeyed, and what is wrong with that?
Di Stewart, USA

How can we expect to become more civilised without punishment for wrong-doers?

Karl, UK

Before I had children, I always said that I would never smack them. How long did that last? Not very. Every single child in the world will misbehave at one time or another, and parents who do nothing are simply contributing to the ever growing hoard of mindless hooligans that are already murdering head masters, harassing old people in the streets and vandalising your and my property without thought of the consequences. It doesn't help that jail sentences are getting shorter either. How can we expect to become more civilised without punishment for wrong doers? It is more likely that chaos will ensue.
Karl, UK

The arguments both for & against corporal punishment in schools are very valid. But we cannot escape the fact that respect for authority has been breaking down for a number of years and is still getting worse. What are we going to do about it? It is a problem that will not go away and must be addressed.
Colin Mackay, UK

If you listen to what the guy was saying he wasn't even putting the emphasis on teachers defending themselves against violent pupils. It is one thing for a person to be able to defend themselves, it's another entirely for them to be legally allowed to enforce their "moral code" as he puts it, with violence. It's a form of, do as you are told and conform to my moral judgment, or I'll beat you with a stick. It is not constructive for children to be brainwashed, using violence, into one strict set of moral beliefs. Have you not seen the religious fundamentalism that is causing the current world crisis, lets give our own religious schools the power to use violence to enforce their religious moral views? I don't think so.
Drew, UK

I cannot quite believe that a Christian School is proposing this. Corporal Punishment is about physically hurting a child, do not try to pretend it is anything also than deliberately causing them pain. It has far more to do with releasing the anger and frustrations of the adult than teaching the child anything! How can any responsible adult think it is ok for a teacher to hit anyone, let alone the children in their care? How can they then expect children to understand that it is not ok to fight or to deliberately hurt others when that is exactly what their teachers and parents are condoning?
Caroline, UK

Wish-washy liberalism has stripped us of almost every option we have in disciplining our children. And then these same people tell us that the reason they kids are running amok is because we have no parenting skills". Rubbish! We're just not being allowed to use them.
Simon C., UK

It's fine to say that only parents should have the right to punish their children but let's be realistic, a large minority don't

Simon, UK

In answer to Paul Fairhurst; if my child came home from school with cane marks, the first thing I would want to know is what crime had my child committed to deserve such punishment. Only once I knew that would I be able to judge whether anger at the school/teacher was justified. Can he also please explain to me what a teacher is supposed to do when confronted with a violent child who knows full well that if the teacher dare defend him/herself and should dare to slap the child then he/she will most definitely be up on criminal charges and more than likely lose their job?

It's fine to say that only parents should have the right to punish their children but let's be realistic a large minority don't. It would be wonderful to live in a society where all parents were perfect and we could rely on them teaching right from wrong but that certainly isn't the case. After twenty users of our liberal, politically correct vocal minority removing all the tools of discipline from most, if not all aspects of society, reintroducing caning in schools will not be a cure to all our problems but by God at least it's a start. Just to make it clear I am certainly opposed to the 'Beating' of children. However the shock of one or two strokes of the cane can sometimes be all that a unruly child needs to bring them back into line and this by all definitions of the word is not 'Beating'.
Simon, UK

I went to an all-boys Catholic school run solely by "Brothers" of the faith. Canings were a daily event in my school - detention was used by the ones who didn't favour corporal punishment. As a father I would be angered to find cane marks on my child. What right does an adult have to strike a defenceless minor? Society needs to find another way to deal with unruly children in a civilised way.
Paul Fairhurst, UK

Why should children be subjected to physical assaults because a teacher cannot control them in a more civilised manner?

Stuart Fenton, UK

I manage a team of 7 people if they didn't 'behave' themselves I quite rightly could not resort to violence to bring them back into line so why should children be subjected to physical assaults because a teacher cannot control them in a more civilised manner? I am married to a primary school teacher who is absolutely against corporal punishment, as much for the protection of the teacher, from accusations of abuse and the retribution meted out by angry parents, as for the protection of children who often misbehave because they are getting exactly the sort of excessive "punishment" (ie beatings) at home, that these Victorian minded reactionaries are proposing they should get at school.
Stuart Fenton, UK

Moderate corporal punishment is acceptable. It has been an effective tool for disciplining children for centuries. People try to label it "uncivilised" in one breath and in the next breath they bemoan the lack of civility and respect towards adults and people with responsibility like teachers. There is a problem with discipline, but it is with that kind of woolly thinking, rather than with (moderate) corporal punishment.
Dave, UK ex-pat in France

It would give them a further opportunity to prove how hard they are by taking regular beatings and not giving in

Jim, England

It is certainly true that discipline in schools today is poor, and teachers have to spend too much time on controlling pupils and not enough teaching them. But corporal punishment is not going to resolve this problem. Persistently unruly, disruptive and anti-social children will not be deterred by the threat of caning.

In fact, it would give them a further opportunity to prove how hard they are by taking regular beatings and not giving in. It will polarise the combative, "Us against Them" attitude of such children, rather than encourage them to see teachers as being on their side. To ascribe the rise of violence in society to a lack of corporal punishment is ludicrous. The majority of acts of violence are committed by young men who have come from abusive homes. Putting legally sanctioned abuse into their schools as well can only reinforce the belief that violence is an acceptable means of behaviour.
Jim, England

As a child I was beaten once or twice for transgressions. It hurt and was embarrassing but I did learn from the experience. As a resource, it has to be available to teachers from the earliest age. This way the pupils know the possibility of punishment exists and so the majority never test those limits more than a few times. The most important principle however is that punishment should not be administered in anger but is a judicial reaction to an unacceptable action on the part of the pupil.

This may mean a period of cooling off with a scheduled time for the administration of the punishment. This gives a period for the teacher to reflect if the punishment is truly merited or seek advise from a more senior member of staff and it provide time for the pupil to reflect on his offence and consider if it is truly worth it. This technique doesn't work for all characters but I know it certainly did for me. As a parent of 3 I would give the school permission to smack my children if required.
Jon, Canada

How many people may have achieved greatness but had it beaten out of them somewhere along the way?

Faye, USA

In response to Dave Jones in the UK; while Disreali, Palmerston and Churchill have achieved greatness, perhaps it was despite the corporal punishment they received at school. Conversely, how many people may have achieved greatness but had it beaten out of them somewhere along the way? There are other ways to earn the respect and admiration of your students besides the threat or use of physical punishment.
Faye, USA

If we look at the past when Britain still had an Empire you would find that corporal punishment was commonplace in schools. Would the great British leaders such as Disraeli, Palmerston, Churchill have achieved such greatness without the discipline instilled by corporal punishment?
Dave Jones, UK

For the benefit of all those respondents who have posted before reading the news article, the school is NOT talking about bringing back the cane or birch. They wish to be able to smack a pupil on the hand or legs in exceptional circumstances. This is hardly a return to Tom Browns Schooldays. Every school I went to reserved the right to use corporal punishment, I do not remember a single instance when it was used, it never had to be precisely BECAUSE we all new it could be. The problem now is that some children know all too well that no-one can restrain them, they know the police cannot punish them, their teachers cannot punish them and in too many cases their parents won't punish them. What sort of punishment is being suspended from school for a child that doesn't want to be there in the first place? Children will always try to push the boundaries of acceptable behaviour, it is natural, but if the boundaries are not there they will never learn to live within society. That will disadvantage them and everyone who has to deal with them for the rest of their lives. Now that's abuse.
Peter D, UK

Would you stop speeding if all the police were allowed to do was tell you off?

Greg, UK

Would you stop speeding if all the police were allowed to do was tell you off? Of course not - you stop speeding because the police have actual power to prosecute you through the courts. Lets look at the education system - the only prosecutions are of teachers accused (often incorrectly) of abuse. Lets give teachers back some respect and allow them to discipline our children if they do not follow reasonable rules laid down in the school. As a parent I for one would sign a consent form today - at last parental choice in education!
Greg, UK

For those who decry the use of corporal punishment in schools I have only one question: have you had a twelve year-old wave a Stanley knife at you in the classroom?
Rob, UK

Quite a few times during my years at school I received six strokes with a cane. Afterwards one had to visit the school infirmary to check for cuts and bleeding. Did it do any good? No of course not. How could anyone have respect for an adult whose solution for any problem is violence?
Peter, Sweden

There's enough abuse in society already, without letting teachers in on the act

John McVey, Scotland

My behaviour at school was nothing other than exemplary, and yet I was belted two years running by a vindictive teacher for no apparent reason save her sheer malice. So, tell me - how can that sort of abuse ever be justified just because one person, namely the pedant behind the desk, says so? It can't. Of course it can't. And that's why corporal punishment can never be justified, for so long as one teacher abuses the system of trust bestowed on them, then the whole idea of teachers being there to protect children goes out the window. No, there's enough abuse in society already, without letting teachers in on the act. No corporal punishment.
John McVey, Scotland

Corporal punishment works best when it is held as the ultimate deterrent, not used as a punishment for trivial offences. The cane should be reserved for things like bullying and all pupils should be aware in advance of what boundaries they have to cross to merit that sort of punishment. People here have said that it should not be part of a civilised society. I disagree: in a truly civilised society there would be no need to outlaw corporal (or even capital) punishment because people would behave themselves and abide by the law sufficiently that the punishment would never need to be used. But in our current society there is more emphasis on our right not to be punished than on our responsibility to behave properly.
Lee, U.K.

I was a failure at school. Not because I was stupid. Not because the teachers were poor. I failed because most of the children in my classes didn't want to learn. Many lessons were near riots - because the teachers had no ultimate sanction against those kids. As a result I learned very little and had to wait until I reached adulthood before I could reach my full potential (First Class BSc).
Frank Hollis, UK

There is no way I would allow another person to smack my child

Gareth, U.K

If I wish to punish my child by smacking then that is my prerogative as a parent. But there is no way I would allow another person to smack my child. What right do they have to make that kind of judgement call? To James and Sandra that said teachers should smack to instil a sense of discipline, I say to you that you are wrong. Discipline and respect should be taught in the home. If you are leaving this up to teachers through smacking then you should not be a parent.
Gareth, U.K

I totally agree with the Head's request. As the husband of a school teacher, I am increasingly concerned at the level of violence in schools, and the total impotence imposed upon the teachers. They are unable to punish effectively, unable to maintain discipline, control and order, and frequently unable to do their job - which is teach - because of the complete lack of respect of the pupils. If it wasn't for the fact that she is retiring from teaching soon, I would be strongly reticent to allow her to continue because of the potential personal dangers involved.

I had the cane when I was 10 for the heinous crime of "running down the corridor." I never did it again, and held the teacher responsible for administering the punishment in greater respect thereafter. It is only a matter of time when indiscipline in schools will result in an increase in crime (due to a lack of respect of authority) in the next generation.
James, Wales

Why should teachers have to put up with unsociable behaviour? If parents don't discipline the kids, who else is going to do it? Maybe if teachers were allowed to exert a little more physical control without the threat of being sued, we wouldn't have the lack of teachers that we do now.
Sandra, UK

If we fail to discipline by a smack or other physical punishment we fail the child and also society

Colin Shelton, UK

It is about time this issue is being addressed. I have heard all sorts of 'experts' talk about why there are problems in our schools today and why so many teachers want to leave their profession. Teachers need to be respected by their pupils. Pupils need to know that they can push things only so far without the fear of being punished for their actions. Effective discipline trains the child to know what is right and what is unacceptable behaviour. This is true not only in school but in society as a whole.

If we fail to discipline by a smack or other physical punishment we fail the child and also society. The evidence of this is plainly seen in every school, even amongst Primary children. I believe most of us know this but don't want to believe it. We have been forced to 'experiment' with other methods of discipline but they have failed.
Colin Shelton, UK

No teacher (or anyone else for that matter) has the right to physically assault my children. If I abused someone in the street and was assaulted as a result, I would be the victim of a crime. Parents' failure to instil a sense of discipline in their children is not a reason for physical punishment by others. We no longer use corporal or capital punishment on criminals, so why suggest using it on children? I fail to see any benefits whatsoever other than causing increasing resentment of authority. May I also add that once again we see advocation of violence from a religious group.
Bruce Walton, England

Has the behaviour of children got any better since corporal punishment was banned from schools?

Martyn, UK

Has the behaviour of children got any better since corporal punishment was banned from schools? Judging by the children I come into contact with, the answer is no. Reintroduce corporate punishment and instil a sense of discipline into children once more.
Martyn, UK

Here we go again, people not knowing (or refusing to accept) the difference between discipline that works and physical, torturous abuse. Why don't you take a step back and question why we are in the state we are in now within schools and society in general. Strict discipline is the only thing that is going to save this country from the mess created by do-gooding, pacifist liberals.
Dave, Manchester - UK

I think there is nothing wrong with a short, sharp smack to the back of the leg. It's quick, effective and then over and done with. Better than the time consuming (for pupil and teacher) detention, ineffective suspension and expulsion which just put children on the streets. Incidentally, there has been no mention of caning - people over-reacting as usual!
Catherine, GB

It doesn't take children long to realise there is nothing to stop them running amok

Chris Cowdery, UK

I believe a measured amount of corporal punishment is a good thing. After all, it doesn't take children long to realise that there is nothing to stop them running amok, and if they lean in that direction, they will do exactly that. The idea that severe physical pain can result from a deliberate misbehaviour would act as a powerful disincentive, much as it had done for generations past.
Chris Cowdery, UK

I am in the Upper Sixth Form. Since I was in Year 10 we have had talks of bringing back corporal punishment to British schools. But the key point is, the unspoken consensus among everyone at my school (which is not even particularly rough) is 'The day the teachers hit us, they give us the legal right to defend ourselves.' We outnumber them 15 to 1. Go figure.
Simon, UK

I ask those who reject this case as "uncivilised" to step inside a classroom for a week and see what it's like. Most of the correspondents with any connection to teaching are all for the success of this case. What does this tell us about the current teaching industry? It's in trouble because each and every kid is 100% aware that no teacher can make them do anything they don't want to do. And will quite happily tell you if you wish to argue.
Sam, N Ireland

Children are unruly because many parents have no parenting skills

Stephen Davey, UK

Nice to see that once again a religious institution wishes to wind back cultural and social progression. The comments that suggest that teachers need corporal punishment to control unruly pupils misses the point. Why are those children unruly? Simply because many parents have no parenting skills whatsoever and thus they've 'ruined' the child by the time they're old enough to attend school.

Teachers are there to teach, to impart knowledge and the skills needed to obtain more knowledge and of course a love of learning, not to show the child how to be a decent civilised person. If they have to do that then it's arguable it's too late. Teachers don't want to be able to hit children, they want the parents to do their job and bring up the kids properly in the first place...
Stephen Davey, UK

Educated at King Edward VI Grammar School in Chelmsford, I received the cane on several occasions. It hurt, but it wasn't the cane that got me through to A-levels and a university degree, it was the pressure to succeed and the quality of the teaching staff.
Joe Ryan, Paris, France

What children need to learn is the hurtful affect their violence has

Sandy, Britain

A small child will naturally hit out when frustrated or angry. Children are only human, and violence is an inherent human trait. What children need to learn is the hurtful affect their violence has, and often the only way to show them this is to smack back. The child then learns the unpleasant results of violence, and that bad behaviour does not go unpunished. Surely these are precepts we want our children to learn?
Sandy, Britain

Corporal punishment is needed, I remember sitting in class and waiting for the teacher to come back, one idiot in another class had hit the teacher and both of them had to go and sort it out - two classes doing nothing, unable to continue because of the actions of one child.
Michael Pearce, UK

Smacking children is a form of assault

Toby Jones, United Kingdom

What about a police station that wanted the right to assault prisoners? Or a mental hospital that wanted to torture its inmates? Smacking children is a form of assault, and the idea that we should tolerate assault on children when we would be up in arms about similar assaults on adults is ludicrous.
Toby Jones, United Kingdom

This is nonsense...of course children have to learn boundaries, and that there will be penalties for crossing them, but you can do that in many ways. Hitting them only teaches them that violence is allowed if you break the rules. Obviously, this contradicts what parents and teachers have been trying to tell children for centuries: don't fight, or try to make a point by hitting someone. Now, what message are you giving young people about violence when adults hit children on a daily basis??? I really think those children will see violence as a way of solving arguments, because after all, grown-ups do it, don't they? This is bad...
W.Verheul, Netherlands

Teachers have no support and parents are failing miserably in managing to instil values and morals into kids these days

Sharon B, UK

At my first boarding school we had corporal punishment. I always swore that I would never resort to violence towards children and we did get beaten for things that were relatively minor (not doing prep on time, not doing music practise etc). However when I see how today's youth are I am inclined to think that perhaps we need this punishment back. Teachers have no support and parents are failing miserably in managing to instil values and morals into kids these days and then blame the teachers and schools for their own failings.

If parents are unwilling to discipline their kids then someone has to. I think however there should be strict guidelines. I was beaten one too many times for very minor things, nothing, which warranted the violence I suffered, however my headmaster was eventually taken to court for his use of corporal punishment as it was deemed excessive. Normally however, just the threat of being sent to the headmaster's office and being caned was enough to deter kids from breaking the rules, bring back corporal punishment and most kids will behave better just to avoid the threat. Sadly these days when a kid beaks the rule or even the law staff have no comeback to "yeah, well what you going to do about it?"
Sharon B, UK

How can bringing back the cane or the birch possible get to the root of the problem? Surely the root causes lie in the home where it seems parents are not allowed to smack their children. It's a sorry state of affairs when we start talking about going back to Victorian times that we've spent the last 100 years rejecting. Maybe this "Christian" school would like to bring back witch hunting as well.
Jacky, UK

I would not like to see any person other than my wife or myself using corporal punishment on our daughter. If a school teacher needs to rely on it, it means the parents and the school have failed badly. Having teachers attempting to beat kids who pretty often are as tall and stronger than they are may lead to even more violence.

Also beating is not efficient. My father in law hated rugby and cross-country running. He would always hide in a tree instead of taking part and would be beaten at school every week. As he puts it "I prefer to be beaten a few times rather than finding myself in a pool of mud crushed by a pile of other students".
Pascal Jacquemain, UK (French)