The information I will present here is taken from 'A Survey of Rewards and Punishment in School: A Report by the National Foundation For Educational Research in England and Wales', based on research carried out by Dr M. E. Highfield, and Mr A. Pinsent, and published by the Newnes Educational Publishing Company Limited of London in 1952.

Despite its title, most of the content within the rather long (432 page) report relates to punishment rather than rewards, and much of it relates to corporal punishment. This is not surprising when the reason it was commissioned is understood. On the 24th April, 1947, in the House of Commons, the Member of Parliament for Newport raised a question about the total abolition of corporal punishment at schools. In support of his position (he was in favour of abolition) he referred to specific cases of severe canings being administered in schools.

The report was commissioned in an attempt to get an accurate picture of corporal in schools, to see whether the type of cases outlined by the Member for Newport were generally indicative. Its scope was broadened beyond just corporal punishment into the total area of punishment and reward in schools, but the original impetus is still obvious in the report.

I do not intend to replicate the entire report here - but I will be outlining some of its more interesting findings.

Much of the report gathered information via survey methods. In a significant number of cases, not all surveys were completed and so data is incomplete. In may other cases, schools may have given multiple answers to the same question and so would appear in more than one set of numbers.

This is only the first section of the book - other sections will follow, but may take a while due to the size of the task of extracting this information. I am making all reasonable efforts to transcribe this information accurately, but I cannot guarantee that mistakes have not been made.

I. A SURVERY OF OFFICIAL REGULATION AT PRESENT IN FORCE FOR THE CONTROL OF CORPORAL PUNISHMENT

144 surveys were sent to Chief Education Officers of Local Education Authorities in London and Wales, inquiring into their regulations.

I will give the results by outlining the statements made on the local regulations by these people and enclosing in brackets after such statements, the number of times such statements were made. For example, the statement.

"Corporal punishment is undesirable for use on girls (3)" indicates that 3 of the 144 returns included that statement.

WISHES, EXTORTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Statements outlined in this section relate to advisory statements with no particular enforcement practices. For example the statement "Corporal punishment is undesirable for use on girls" is not a prohibition of such corporal punishment, merely a statement of principle that may not always be followed.

Corporal punishment should be avoided if possible or given with special care in the case of delicate, nervous or crippled children (17)

Corporal punishment is undesirable for infants (4)

Corporal punishment is undesirable for girls (3)

Corporal punishment is undesirable for girls except for exceptional offences (3)

Corporal punishment is undesirable for girls except for extreme offences (2)

Corporal punishment is undesirable for girls except for grave offences (1)

Corporal punishment is undesirable for girls except for serious offences (1)

Corporal punishment should be given with the utmost precautions (3)

Corporal punishment should be given in a proper manner and by suitable means (1)

Corporal punishment should be given without undue severity (1)

Corporal punishment should be given infrequently (1)

Corporal punishment should be dispensed with in the case of girls (1)

Corporal punishment should be reasonable (1)

Corporal punishment should be very carefully regulated (1)

The LEA disapproves of frequent punishment (2)

Where punishments are frequent, managers should inquire carefully into the reasons (1)

Children under five years of age may be sent home instead of being caned (1)

DIRECTIONS, RESTRICTIONS, PROHIBITIONS

Statements outlined in this section have more force than the advisory statements of the previous section. In many cases, failure to comply with these regulations could lead to disciplinary action against the teacher involved. In practice it seems such prohibitions were ignored with some level of frequency.

Head teachers shall be responsible for all punishments given in the school (37)

Head teachers shall be responsible for discipline (6)

Head teachers shall be responsible for observance of regulations (2)

Head teachers shall be responsible for prevention of excessive corporal punishment (1)

Head teachers are expected to reduce all forms of punishment to a minimum compatible with the welfare of the school, and the children and with good standards of work and discipline (24)

Head teachers shall report any breaches of regulations (on the part of teachers) to the Education Committee (6)

Head teachers shall report any breaches of regulations (on the part of teachers) to the Chief Education Officer (6)

Head teachers shall report any breaches of regulations (on the part of teachers) to the Managers (4)

Head teachers shall report any breaches of regulations (on the part of teachers) to the Divisional Clerk (1)

Head teachers may punish for instances of misconduct which they observe out of school (3)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only by the head teacher and delegated assistant teachers (46)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only by the head teacher (or acting head teacher in the absence of the head teacher) (18)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only by the head teacher and certified assistant teachers (14)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only by the head teacher and responsible teachers in charge of a class (1)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only by the head teacher in case of infants and then only for serious, exceptional, willful misconduct (3)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only by the head teacher in girls' and infants' schools (1)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only by the head teacher in the case of infants if given by other means than the hand (1)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only by the head teacher in the case of late-comers (1)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only by the head teacher for serious misconduct (1)

In the case of girl pupils in mixed schools in charge of a headmaster, corporal punishment if and when necessary shall be inflicted by an assistant mistress duly authorized by the headmaster (16)

In the case of girl pupils in mixed schools in charge of a headmaster, corporal punishment if and when necessary shall be inflicted by a senior woman assistant (4)

In the case of girl pupils in mixed schools in charge of a headmaster, corporal punishment if and when necessary shall be inflicted by an assistant mistress, if possible (3)

In the case of girl pupils in mixed schools in charge of a headmaster, corporal punishment if and when necessary shall be inflicted by a senior woman assistant on the authority of the headmaster and in his presence (2)

In the case of girl pupils in mixed schools in charge of a headmaster, corporal punishment if and when necessary shall be inflicted by a senior woman assistant on the authority of the headmaster and in his presence or in the presence of a woman assistant (1)

In the case of girl pupils in mixed schools in charge of a headmaster, corporal punishment if and when necessary shall be inflicted by a senior woman assistant approved by the local Administrative Committee (1)

In the case of girl pupils in mixed schools in charge of a headmaster, corporal punishment if and when necessary shall be inflicted by a woman teacher (but corporal punishment to be inflicted only in exceptional cases (1)

Corporal punishment shall not be inflicted on girls by men teachers in mixed schools (5)

Corporal punishment shall not be inflicted on girls by men teachers in mixed schools without previous discussion with the headmaster (1)

Delegation of authority to inflict corporal punishment to an assistant teacher shall be made in writing by the head teacher (38)

Delegation of authority to inflict corporal punishment to an assistant teacher shall be made in writing by Managers (1)

Delegation of authority to inflict corporal punishment to an assistant teacher shall be made in writing by the Education Committee (1)

Assistant teachers to whom authority is delegated must be considered fit and proper persons for the responsibility (13)

Delegation shall be approved by the Committee (2)

Delegation shall be approved by the Managers (1)

Delegation shall be especially authorized by the Managers (1)

Delegation shall be made by the presentation to the assistant teachers in question of an official punishment book (2)

The power of delegation by the head teacher will be withdrawn by the Committee if they are not satisfied with its operation (1)

Assistant teachers shall inflict corporal punishment only at the direction of, and in the presence of, the head teacher (1)

Assistant teachers shall inflict corporal punishment only in the presence of the head teacher in special schools (1)

Assistant teachers shall inflict corporal punishment only in the presence of the head teacher during the first 18 months of service (1)

All cases of difficulty of discipline shall be referred to the head teacher (2)

Assistant teachers shall report not later than the close of the school session that corporal punishment has been inflicted (1)

Authority to inflict corporal punishment shall be delegated to assistant teachers only after they have completed a probationary year of service (2)

Authority to inflict corporal punishment shall be delegated to assistant teachers only after they have completed 18 months of service (1)

Authority to inflict corporal punishment shall be delegated to assistant teachers only after they have completed 2 years of service (2)

Authority to inflict corporal punishment shall be delegated to assistant teachers only after they have completed 3 years of service (8)

Authority to inflict corporal punishment shall be delegated to uncertified assistant teachers only after they have completed 3 years of service (1)

Authority to inflict corporal punishment shall be delegated to assistant teachers only after they have completed 4 years of service (3)

Authority to inflict corporal punishment shall be delegated to assistant teachers only after they have completed 5 years of service (4)

Authority to inflict corporal punishment shall be delegated to uncertified assistant teachers only after they have completed 7 years of service (1)

Authority to inflict corporal punishment shall be delegated to uncertified assistant teachers only after they have completed 7 years of service and then only with the consent of the Chief Education Officer (1)

Authority to inflict corporal punishment shall be delegated to assistant teachers only after they have completed 10 years of service (1)

Corporal punishment shall be not be inflicted by a Domestic Science teacher (1)

Corporal punishment shall be not be inflicted by a Handicraft instructor (2)

Slight corporal punishment may be inflicted by a Handicraft instructor only after he has had charge of a centre for an unbroken period of 3 years (1)

Assistant teachers, authorized to inflict corporal punishment, are limited to no more than two strokes (12)

Assistant teachers, authorized to inflict corporal punishment, are limited to slight punishment only (8)

Assistant teachers, authorized to inflict corporal punishment, are limited to not more than one stroke on each hand (2)

Assistant teachers, authorized to inflict corporal punishment, are limited to not more than one stroke (2)

For infants, assistant teachers, authorized to inflict corporal punishment, are limited to slight slaps on hand or arm (3)

For infants, assistant teachers, authorized to inflict corporal punishment, are limited to slight slaps on hand or arm for offences in class only (1)

In primary schools, assistant teachers, authorized to inflict corporal punishment, are limited to one smack on hand or buttocks as a means of immediate correction (1)

Assistant teachers, authorized to inflict corporal punishment, must restrict such punishment to a minimum (1)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only by means of a cane (15)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only by means of a light cane (3)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only by means of an ordinary cane (1)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only by means of a thin, flexible cane (1)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only by means of a flexible cane (1)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only by means of a proper cane (1)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only by means of a common cane (1)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only by means of a smaller cane for primary-school boys and all girls - a larger cane for senior (secondary school) boys (2)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only by means of a cane or tawse (2)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only by means of a tawse (7)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only by means of a cane or tawse provided (supplied) by the Education Authority (7)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only by means of a cane authorized by the Education Authority (2)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only by means of a suitable instrument inspected and approved by Managers or Governors (1)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only by means of the open hand in case of infants (5)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only by means of the open hand on infant's hand (3)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only by means of on infant's hand or arm (1)

Only one cane shall be kept in each department by the head teacher together with the official punishment book. These must be obtained when required by assistant teachers and returned after use. (15)

Only one tawse shall be kept in each department by the head teacher together with the official punishment book. These must be obtained when required by assistant teachers and returned after use. (4)

Only one instrument of punishment shall be kept in each department by the head teacher together with the official punishment book. These must be obtained when required by assistant teachers and returned after use. (6)

Head teacher and senior assistant only may possess a cane (1)

Teachers must not keep a private cane or other instrument of punishment (2)

Teachers must not carry a cane, or a piece of cane, in the hand while teaching (3)

Teachers shall not use a cane for any purpose other than punishment (e.g,, as a pointer) (3)

The cane shall, generally, be kept out of sight (1)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only on the palm of the hand (6)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only on the hand or buttocks (6)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only on the hand, in case of girls (2)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only on the hand (1)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only on the open palm (1)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only on the inside of the pupil's hand (1)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only on the palm of the open hand in case of pupils other than boys (1)

Corporal punishment must not be inflicted on any part or parts of the trunk liable to suffer permanent injury (3)

Corporal punishment must not be inflicted on the bare flesh directly, except hands (1), the right hand (1)

Pupils must never be caned on the head or shoulders (1)

Corporal punishment may be inflicted on the back (2)

Corporal punishment may be inflicted on the back by the head teacher for grave offences only, and only in the presence of a certificated assistant as witness (1)

Corporal punishment shall be used only as a last resort and not until other means have been tried and have failed (19)

Corporal punishment shall be used only as a last resort and not until other means have been tried and have failed except for grave moral offences (14)

Corporal punishment shall be used only as a last resort and not until other means have been tried and have failed except for grave offences (5)

Corporal punishment shall be used only as a last resort and not until other means have been tried and have failed except for moral culpability (3)

Corporal punishment shall be used only as a last resort and not until other means have been tried and have failed except for the most serious offences (2)

Corporal punishment shall be used only as a last resort and not until other means have been tried and have failed except for disobedience (2)

Corporal punishment shall be used only as a last resort and not until other means have been tried and have failed except for bad language (2)

Corporal punishment shall be used only as a last resort and not until other means have been tried and have failed except for indecency (1)

Corporal punishment shall be used only as a last resort and not until other means have been tried and have failed except for dishonesty (1)

Corporal punishment shall be used only as a last resort and not until other means have been tried and have failed except for lying (1)

Corporal punishment shall be used only as a last resort and not until other means have been tried and have failed except for gross insubordination (1)

Corporal punishment shall be used only as a last resort and not until other means have been tried and have failed except for persistent disobedience (1)

Corporal punishment shall be used only as a last resort and not until other means have been tried and have failed except for willful disobedience or misconduct (1)

Corporal punishment shall be used only as a last resort and not until other means have been tried and have failed except for an emergency where to abstain from such punishment would endanger loss of control of class or school (1)

Corporal punishment shall not be given for dullness (5)

Corporal punishment shall not be given for backwardness (4)

Corporal punishment shall not be given for absence (except proved truancy) (3)

Corporal punishment shall not be given for absence (2)

Corporal punishment shall not be given for errors in work (2)

Corporal punishment shall not be given for neglect to bring note explaining absence (2)

Corporal punishment shall not be given for neglect of homework (unless parents of pupils agree that punishment shall be given) (1)

Corporal punishment shall not be given for late-coming in case of infants (1)

Corporal punishment shall not be given for lateness (1)

Corporal punishment shall not be given for natural slowness of comprehension (1)

Corporal punishment shall not be given for offences for which pupils are not responsible (1)

Striking on any part of the head is forbidden (46)

Boxing the ears is forbidden (28)

Shaking is forbidden (19)

Blows with the hand are forbidden (17)

"Cuffs" are forbidden (16)

Irregular punishments are forbidden (14)

Blows with a ruler, book, slate, pointer, stick are forbidden (6)

Cruel punishments are forbidden (4)

Excessive punishments are forbidden (4)

Capricious punishments are forbidden (1)

Dangerous punishments are forbidden (1)

"Thumping" is forbidden (2)

Pulling ears is forbidden (2)

Pushing is forbidden (1)

Slapping is forbidden (1)

Rough useage is forbidden (1)

Rapping knuckles is forbidden (1)

Undue standing is forbidden (1)

Tying limbs is forbidden (1)

Any standing as punishment is forbidden in special schools (1)

Any punishment adverse to the mental and physical development of pupils (1)

In infants' classes any corporal punishment is forbidden (17)

In infants' classes any corporal punishment by means of a cane is forbidden (4)

In infants' classes severe corporal punishment is forbidden (1)

In infants' classes any corporal punishment by assistant teachers by any means other than with the open hand is forbidden (1)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted not more than once in the school session (2)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted at a reasonable interval after the discovery of the offence (1)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted at least half an hour after the offence (2)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted in no case at the time of the offence (1)

Corporal punishment shall not be inflicted until the end of the lesson (1)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted after school hours in the case of girls (1)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted in private (2)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted before the whole class (2)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted before the class at the end of the lesson (1)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted before the whole class or school (1)

Corporal punishment shall not be inflicted in the presence of other pupils in the case of severe punishment (1)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted in private in the presence of another teacher as witness (1)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted where possible in the presence of a second teacher of the same sex as the pupil (1)

Corporal punishment shall be inflicted in the presence of the head teacher in special schools (1)

Corporal punishment shall not be inflicted on girls in the presence of boys (2)

Pupils shall not be assembled to witness corporal punishment (1)

Head teachers shall not use any discretion in entering records of corporal punishment (6)

Head teachers shall initial all entries by assistant teachers in the punishment book (24)

Head teachers shall initial the punishment book weekly (1)

Head teachers shall initial the punishment book monthly (1)

Every punishment by an assistant teacher must be entered in the punishment book (4)

All punishments inflicted prior to corporal punishment, together with the dates on which they were inflicted must be entered in the punishment book (1)

All punishments in special schools must be entered in the punishment book (1)

Corporal punishment by a head teacher of more than one stroke with a light cane or tawse must be entered in the punishment book (1)

In the case of infants, all incidents of corporal punishment by head teachers as well as assistant teachers must be entered in the punishment book (1)

Entries shall be made in the punishment book at once (6)

Entries shall be made in the punishment book prior to infliction of the punishment (5)

Entries shall be made in the punishment book at the close of the morning or afternoon session in which the punishment is inflicted (2)

Entries shall be made in the punishment book before the end of the session in which the punishment is inflicted (1)

The punishment book shall be inspected periodically by official visitors (17)

The punishment book shall be available for inspection (17)

Teachers guilty of cruel corporal punishment will be dismissed (4)

Teachers guilty of breaches of punishment regulations will be liable to instant dismissal (4)

Teachers guilty of breaches of punishment regulations will be liable to dismissal (1)

Teachers guilty of breaches of punishment regulations will be liable to suspension without pay (4)

Teachers guilty of breaches of punishment regulations will be liable to suspension (3)

Teachers guilty of breaches of punishment regulations will be dealt with for breach of discipline (1)

Just a couple of things I'd like to point out immediately.

I suspect that references to corporal punishment being inflicted on the back in the long post are actually euphemistic references to punishment being inflicted on the buttocks. Such euphemism was apparently once commonplace - I'm rather surprised to see it in surveys from the 1950s, but I think it's more likely its euphemistic than there were schools still allowing punishment on the upper trunk at that time.

Some areas may not have updated their regulations in a very long time - so I suppose euphemisms might be historical artifact.

Second note - I'm rather amused at one regulation:

"Corporal punishment shall be inflicted only on the palm of the open hand in case of pupils other than boys"

'Pupils other than boys' - I have to wonder if the writer of that regulation was *really* uncomfortable with the idea of corporal punishment being used on girls.

What's with the prejudice against "domestic arts" and "handicraft" teachers? Too wimpy were they these "arts" people and housewives? One would think maintaining discipline and order would be all the more important in a kitchen or workshop situation.

The one that really surprized me was only one school wrote that CP should be reasonable. I have to assume that all the other schools did not care if it was reasonable or not.

My guess is that it was probably a matter of qualifications - Domestic Science teachers and Handicraft Instructors probably generally lacked certification that other teachers had, and so were seen as less qualified. It's not like it was general - only four LEAs (at most - it may have been only two) out of 144 seem to have reported having restrictions like that.

Actually I'd hope they didn't say it simply because they felt it went without saying.

Dean has guessed right. Many Housewives and artisans were employed on the Instructors’ Scale (which still exists) to teach Domestic Science and Handicraft and would therefore not have the privilege of officially inflicting corporal punishment on their pupils. They would be seen as low status individuals as were music teachers fifty years before the survey was conducted when these unfortunate people were not allowed into school staffrooms.

‘Handicraft’ was not seen as ‘Art’ but as a skill needed by those who would become manual workers.

Excellent. I'd also like to comment. Bit surprising that so few references to doing it with all a child's clothes on - most regs I have seen referred to applying it to the seat of a boy's "cloth trousers" etc. Also references to the bare flesh were few and those that ban it presumably also sought to avoid contact with bare arms or legs - common areas for smacks in the 1950s when boys were in short trousers.
I suspect that avoidance of reference to this point was perhaps to avoid suggestions that until the latest regulations were adopted bare bottom smackings had been commonplace and there was a need to regulate the point. I was surprised that a few schools insisted it could only be done in front of the whole class or school.

On euphemisms, back was indeed the bum. I also wonder about the exceptions for various offences, "moral culpability" and the like, while there was only 1 exception for "indecency". What might these euphemisms cover?

Examples of indecency might include having an erection whilst being caned or pointing out that the teacher administering the caning had an erection.

Since this is a JunkPost, I am unable to write about something as abstract as ‘moral culpability’.

Copyright Brian4JunkPosts

Dean and Gillian: By the "too lowly" bit in my post (which I admit is a manifestation the capricious urge to make silly comments when faced with an enormously,clever piece of work like Dean's survey) I was getting at the fact that for whatever reasons handicraft and domestic science teachers were not considered good enough -- it just seemed ironic to me that only fully-qualified teachers with teacher's college certificates would be deemed fit to whack smack, and wallop. Did teacher's colleges of the Forties and Fifties have courses on how to do it? I'm sure there were socio/Psyocology course with content on maintaining a classroom -- but I seriously doubt there was "Caning for the Aspiring Head Teacher" or even "Ethics of Corporal Discipline" or "Mercy -- to show or not to show". The folks who taught Domestic Science and Handicrafts, on the other hand, were probably real housewives, mechanics, etc. who might have had more experience wielding the belt than most first-year teachers. Too bad they didn't let them into the staffrooms.

This is simply a personal comment, by the way, just in case anyone thinks I'm actually arguing or trying to make a point of some sort.

I had a history teacher once who would give me cold, withering looks and say things like "do you really think I care?" or "and this matters how to whom?" when I volunteered comments.

BTW: Dean, that was actually a true compliment to you in my first paragraph -- it sorta got buried in my flippantness (real word?) flippancy?

"Too Wimpy" I wrote "too wimpy" not "too lowly" -- that was Giilian's phrase. Oops. Sorry.

At William Penn School there were forms named ‘3H’ and ‘4H’. ‘H’ stood for ‘Handicraft’. Pupils in these classes spent much of the school week cutting up pieces of wood and then nailing them together. Occasionally they were allowed to work with metal, but that privilege was mainly reserved for those in ‘3E’ and ‘4E’ (Engineering).

The ‘Handicraft’ kids were, in the rigid streaming that existed, just one place above the lowest. Those who were unable to succeed in ‘Handicraft’ were moved down to ‘Manual’ (3M or 4M). The Manuals were taught to dig the school gardens by a teacher known as ‘Fat Fred’.