So can teachers go back to beating school kids again?

[R1Geezer]

Up to now most teachers would have been dragged through the courts for even thinking about disciplinning school kids. It seems that assumtion is a "myth".
http://tinyurl.com/yjuote2
So is Ed Balls trying to go for the "thrash the little blighters to within an inch of their lives vote"?

[jno]

did you make it as far as the third paragraph?

"What you can't do is use force to punish children. We don't allow children to be hit, to hurt them for punishment,"

[Buenchico]

Hitting children is obviously wrong - but I find aiming the bullets about an inch to the side of their heads usually scares the sh!t out of them ;-)

[cassa333]

When I was a mere babe in arms (ok school age) we had a teacher who used to throw the blackboard rubber and rulers at us if we misbehaved.

[modeller]

I once had a young thug, who when he wasn't shooting cats and drug dealing occasionally turned up at school. On his school report I commented mildly that 'his truancy and behaviour was a cause for concern '.
This was sent back to me by the headmaster saying I should never write anything negative about a pupil and that the following words should be used.
' When in school Ronald shows exceptionable powers of leadership'.

[TTG]

I never had corporal punishment at school. Learning right from wrong pre-school from my parents was enough.

[robbo966]

Put them on the naughty step.
Oooooohhhhh that really scares them !

[paddywak]

When I was at school official punishment was inflicted by the headmaster or mistress using a cane. Unoffical punishment went physical, means the afore mentioned black board rubber seems to have been a national favorite to public humiliation. One I remember to this day was when the physics master, a Mr Wilson, caught me throwing chalk about. For punishment I had to wear my jacket and cap inside out and carrying an empty box go into every class in the school where I had to read out a message he had given explaining how I was an Idiot who had wasted all his chalk and could I please have some of theirs. Even now when after nearly 50yrs when we go to reunons there's always somebody will say " I remember you,you're the chalk idiot"

[robbo966]

Take a look at the state of society, there's no discipline and no respect for authority and that's because kids have got the upper hand. Too many do gooders about who've never had kids telling parents and authorities how to do it.

[Garmard]

I'm afraid this inept government has empowered children to an extent that they can almost get away with anything and if they don't like a certain teacher, make his or her life hell, either going to the extremes of dragging them through the courts for some bogus accusation,
Is it any wonder that the career of teaching is dwindling as they seem to be crying out for them............especially male teachers who are too apprehensive to get involved in what is seen now as a path to futility.
Bring back the old fashioned methods of the cane and discipline in schools, if you want proof of the taking away of these old values, just look up your street or on your street corners in the evening where the louts(baseball hatted varieties usually) hang out.
Do you now feel safe on your streets? I doubt it.,

[Oneeyedvic]

Garmard - You say that kids are more empowered than ever - of course you neglect that we also one of the lowest age of criminal responsibility of any 'developed' country!

With regards the acceptable side of corporal punishment - do you include all those children who were abused by teachers and told that they would be physically punished if they ever told someone?

Not sure why you think teacher numbers are dwindling - there are more now than there have ever been

Whilst I would agree that there are fewer male teachers than female teachers in nursery schools this is more down to the fact that tabloids (and to a certain extent society) views these people as potential paedophiles.