Is caning still allowed in schools? Corporal punishment in the UK

CANING used to be widely used in British schools, as a form of punishment.

Here, we look at when it was banned and the reasons behind it ending.

When did the cane stop in UK schools?

Caning was banned in British schools in 1986, and it was stopped in State Schools in 1987.

In other private schools, it was banned in 1998 in England and Wales, 2000 in Scotland and 2003 in Northern Ireland.

Why was caning banned in schools?

Following a 1982 ruling by the European Court of Human Rights that such punishment could no longer be administered without parental consent.

It was also ruled that a child’s right to education could not be infringed by suspending children who, with parental approval, refused to submit to corporal punishment.

In 1982, two Scottish parents, Grace Campbell and Jane Cosans, made reports to the European Court of Human Rights about the use of corporal punishment.

Both mums had children who attended state schools in Scotland, where staff were allowed at the time to hit pupils with a leather strap as a form of discipline.

Cosans’ son, Jeffrey, who was 15, was suspended for refusing to accept corporal punishment after he had taken a shortcut through a cemetery. 

Is caning allowed in Singapore schools?

Caning is a widely used form of corporal punishment in Singapore.

It is fully lawful as a punishment in Singapore schools and explicitly supported by the government. 

Under Section 88 of the Education Act, it is permitted for male students only.

The punishment is administered formally along traditional British lines, typically in the form of a predetermined number of vigorous cuts across the seat of the student’s trousers as he bends over a desk or chair. 

The Ministry of Education encourages schools to punish boys by caning for serious offences such as fighting, smoking, cheating, gang-related offences, vandalism, defiance and truancy.

Students may also be caned for repeated cases of more minor offences, such as being late repeatedly in a term.

The punishment may be administered only by the Principal or any staff member under the Principal’s express authority, usually the Vice-Principal, Discipline Master, Operations Manager.

It can also be given out by any other specially delegated member of the school’s Disciplinary Committee.