There was considerable thought given within local authorities and by Head’s and teachers in Scotland to banning the belt well in advance of the official UK ban on its use from August 1987 in state schools. The mood within the profession and the public at large was turning away from the use of CP in schools from the mid 1960’s, even if pupils of that time were totaly unaware of this. I suspect that the majority of pupils attending schools in Scotland in the 60’s and 70’s would see it in regular use and probably felt it themselves.
It was generally the case that pupils’ brought up under a system where the belt featured large regarded a teacher who did not use the belt as easy prey for acts of misbehaviour, lazyness etc., the fear of “getting the belt” having been removed.
