At school one teacher was worried boys would not go to the headmaster when sent for the cane. He therefore sent someone with them, who was allowed to stay and witness the punishment. This was not popular with recipients. One day I was chosen to take one of the toughest boys in the class for bullying. The first very hard stroke reduced him to tears. After the caning he dropped to his knees sobbing- not very good for the image of a bully. The caning had the desired effect, possibly aided by everyone hearing an account of it. I myself worked out the cane was something to be avoided at all costs. Has anyone else ever winessed a headmasters caning when not being personally involved, or was this very unusual. The deterrent value of what happened was increased, as other boys realised the cane was no laughing matter. Incidently there was always no shortage of volunteers to take someone for the cane, perhaps because it was never done in class. The opportunity to see what it was like, without feeling what it was like was too good to miss. Funnily very few witnessed canings produced stories of boys who didn’t cry

Although undoubtedly rare in UK schools, even in the sixties, I did witness boys being caned in assembly at senior school on more than one occasion, I cannot remember any of them visibly crying, before or afterwards. What I do remember clearly is the absolute and total shocked silence during the proceedings in which one could hear the sharp intakes of breath from both the recipient, and on occasion the assembled school audience as well. (The actual strokes themselves seemed to sound particularly loud). The tension and fear produced in both myself and my female schoolfriends were enough on occasion to cause some to burst into tears as the caning proceeded. I personally found these events extremely stressful.

I cannot vouch for the deterrent effect of witnessed events as my girlfriends and I (although not entirely certain of our total exemption from such proceedings, dependent on extremes of bad behaviour) did not in practice see ourselves as particularly likely to be subject to them.

Astonishing though it may seem to SJ and others of her age group, such things did happen (though not at my school).

The deterrent effect must have been acute for the boys. Fran states that it had a significant effect on girls who were not at risk of such punishments, but surely those that were at risk must have found the experience profound?

This method of public caning has not fallen totally out of favour. Schools in the far east would appear to practise this method frequently. Unlike earlier times in the UK it seems the more serious the crime the more likely a boy is to be caned in public. Incidentally it is reported that female offenders are made to wear a coloured vest for a set period of time instead of being caned. Unlike their judicial system, the school system seems to have much to commend it.

Given that this BB is about school cp it is a little odd that no comment or discussion has been seen here of their most excellent methods of school discipline.