In the years leading up to abolition, more and more education authorities dropped CP, post abolition the behaviour of boys didn’t deteriorate, or escalate over night, there were reports when the House discussed the abolition for private schools over a decade later, behaviour had improved in some state schools without the threat or use of CP.
Dr D has stated he feels boys respond well to CP, that it can be a beneficial tool as an option. That might be so, but if caning was automatically in place in every boys’ school via the few, it was always to become an option of choice, and more widely used, traditions die hard.