My senior school (North West London, sixties) used the cane and slipper on both boys and girls.
The School itself was not particularly ‘strict’ in the terms of the time.
In terms of the state schools that used corporal punishment at that period, it possibly tended to use this method rather more than others, such as detention, or lines,
This simply because being less ‘strict’ than, say, a typical girls private school of the time, these methods were either ignored or were considered (and were) ineffective.
I have had the experience of the reality, and effects of attendance at really strict schools with my daughter and step-daughter who attended reasonably well-known UK private girls schools relatively recently.
Highlights(?) (which I still view with disgust)included me, as an adult, being dressed down face to face by one of their housemistresses over one of them wearing a skirt to lessons which had acquired a few spots of paint or glue during practical lessons given by the school!
This was when I could not possibly be aware as they were then boarding!
The other incident is possibly more serious and in my view should have led to further action.
However, it did not happen to either of my girls (but did to one of their friends).
At one of the schools during winter and in an intermittent rainstorm, a teacher insisted that a girl standing outside the school waiting for her parents should remove the ‘non-regulation’ raincoat she was wearing (as it was not approved uniform) and wait as she got progressively wetter and colder.
This was apparently a common occurrence. (The official coats were very expensive and very unfashionable.
The girls had literally to be forced to wear them, and the parents forced to buy them.)
Getting back to the treatment of boys and girls at UK schools I attended as a girl.
At primary school the slipper was used for both, (quite rarely, but typically in front of the class) and the cane very rarely, but believed to be applied to both for serious offences.
(Boys tended to commit more serious offences than girls, although I seem to remember a theft by some older girls from the girl’s cloakroom at one stage.)
I was aware of one slippering (a boy and a girl)which took place in the next-door classroom to ours for ‘going out of school at playtime’.
I never saw the event although of course, we questioned them about it afterwards.
(Three on the bottom, bending over).
The cane was mentioned once or twice in assembly for thefts and such (actually after the event and punishment now I think about it.
‘These people have had the cane, and the matter is closed etc’), but took place only in the Headmasters study.
I was only vaguely aware at the time, and never knew anyone who got it (or admitted they had).
All of us, girls and boys, at that time expected the cane was given on the bottom, like the slipper.
I can’t remember feeling in danger of getting either at primary school. Senior school was very different.
This was a big North London school, actually, originally a ‘Secondary Modern’ school at that time converting to a full ‘Comprehensive’.
The Headmaster (we believed) had come from the boys Private School sector in the UK, which at that time according to my male friends and public record, used the cane extensively, including allowing older pupils such as Prefects to beat younger boys.
At this school, the cane was used for both boys and girls.
The Headmaster and male Deputy head would regularly cane boys on the bottom, and the female Deputy Head would cane girls on the hand in her room.
We girls could be caned for the same offences as the boys (Smoking, Truancy, offences relating to wearing of uniform, lateness, rudeness etc)and many of my classmates and other girls were caned over the period I was there.
(I managed to avoid it). On one occasion however, I remember taking a record book for another teacher to the female Deputy Heads room and distinctly hearing one(older)girl getting six strokes of the cane as I waited outside the door.
On more than one occasion at senior school I also witnessed public canings of boys in assembly.
These were for really serious offences, (Theft, bullying etc).
The Headmaster would announce that the school would wait behind after the final hymn.
After the main part of the assembly, The Head would then say that a serious matter had occurred and describe the offence(s. The whole school then witnessed the boy, or boys, being called out from the audience to the stage.
The Head would then say something about ‘these boys are now going to be punished’ and either ask one of the other teachers (e.g. Deputy Heads) on the stage to get the cane from the side of the stage or sometimes it was on the table in front of him.
He would then take the cane and call the boy or one of the boys to the middle front of the stage, in the area in front of the table.
The boy was then told to face the right hand (from our viewpoint) side of the stage and bend over.
The head then ordered the boy to fold back his blazer and touch his toes.
I remember the head usually put the cane across the boys bottom and asked if he was ready.
They always said yes!
The head then proceeded to give them ‘six of the best’.
(It seemed to be always six).
Afterwards the Head would put the cane back on the table, tell the boy to stand up, and send him to stand at the side of the stage.
The Head then said something like ‘let that be a warning to you all’ before dismissing the school.
During the proceedings, the school looked on in literally shocked silence.
I don’t remember any of the boys crying out to any degree, but I do remember hearing the sharp intakes of breath on each stroke and gasps for breath between.
The swish of the cane and the impact on the boys’ bottoms was very loud in the deathly silence.
I found these occasions very stressful and fear-inducing.
I remember on at least one occasion, girls near me bursting into tears as a caning proceeded.
We generally felt sorry for the boys but were never actually sure whether it might not have been the same for us girls (but probably on the hands)if really bad offences had been committed.
It was certainly a feared punishment, both as receiver and audience.
I am certain that these very public events must have been officially recorded.
In respect of the slipper at senior school.
This seemed to be mostly associated with PE (Gym)and games lessons.
It did apply and was applied, fairly regularly to both boys and girls.
Many of my girl and boy classmates got it on a semi-informal basis.
A smaller, but significant number of both sexes were slippered officially and formally for known offences, usually ‘in private’ (i.e.on their own or ‘one at a time)either in a room next to the Gym or in the Gym itself.