All punishment is intended to cause suffering. That is what it is , and that is the purpose of it . It therefore follows that no one form of punishment is kinder than another. Nevertheless, there are some ground rules. Punishment is a deterrent and a reminder to do better in future. It should not be on moral and psychological grounds a public humiliation . No punishment should be such that it places the student under such pressure as to lead inexorably, given that student’s physical and psychological predispositions, to the receipt of further punishment. Thus the old practice of giving ‘extra’ cane or paddle strokes for reacting to the punishment would be unacceptable to me.Punishment should be non discriminatory on grounds of gender, race, or as far as possible , disability.