During my primary school years in France, there was essentially a legal gap regarding the practice of corporal punishment.it was neither authorised nor forbidden.

The choice was left to the teachers, and some were pretty avid spankers.

I, unfortunately, had two of them  and received some of my most embarrassing spankings from them.

There was something very humiliating in having to settle yourself obediently over your teacher’s waiting lap in front of a whole class, then getting smacked (usually two dozen stinging slaps) until you cried, even if you tried not to.

The march of shame back to your seat –

sobbing and trying not to catch any of your classmates’ eyes –

was really a bad moment too.

However, once the correction had been administered, there usually weren’t any further consequences.

The only exception was if you were sent to the headmistress, where you would recieve a more severe smacked bottom and a formal note was written for your parents.