State schools never have been allowed to cane bare as far as I know but caning was prevalent in my day (40/50s)though I doubt as frequently used as in past eras..
Canings tended to be severe and widely used for minor offences in earlier times but the number of boys at risk was small. The number of strokes per eligible boy was high but not all boys were at risk of caning and the number of caned boys was relatively small.
In the post WW2 period school rolls increased and boys stayed longer at school. Many more boys were eligible for canings even if the number of strokes per boy declined. It is likely that the total number of canings peaked in the 1970’s. Thereafter, caning became steadily less acceptable.