Although Scottish teachers’ straps were available with differing degrees of severity. most teachers’ owned and used a single strap. A very few had two straps and, if they did, might use the lighter one for girls and the heavier one for boys, or the lighter one for less serious offences and the heavier one for more serious ones.
When buying a strap at the commencement of their teaching career, many teachers considered the age group of the pupils they would be teaching and purchased a tawse appropriate in severity for that age group. Some teachers. of course, could lay the belt harder than others and almost reduce a pupil to tears with a single stroke.
