But of course, although you don’t say so, you meant corporal punishment in ‘proper’ schools didn’t you? Well sorry, but that wasn’t banned twenty-five years ago next year either. School corporal punishment was legal in England (and Wales)until 1999, until 2000 in Scotland, and until 2003 in Northern Ireland. The 1986 legislation only applied to state schools, schools partly funded by the state, and individual pupils in private schools whose fees were paid by state agencies. For a great many pupils in private schools in Britain corporal punishment remained a (perfectly legal) reality long after 1986.

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