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In the schools i went too, it was either the ruler, slipper or the cane.
Did it, actually made anyone behave better than they might have done?

I remember one boy being spanked in front of the class (probably equivalent of Y3 now) (and I remember his name, too). It didn't appear to make him behave any better, IIRC.

Apart from that, no.

I think it definitely scared us into behaving!

Even if it did, it's still outrageous and completely unacceptable.

I'm 28 - at my primary (3 to 7) it was the slipper, then junior (7 to 11) was the cane.

And yes, I was terrified of getting either, and was a right teacher's pet as a result.

I'm 37, no idea if it really happened but rumors went round my tiny CofE school that 2 school terrors had been caned. Just the idea made us all sit up and behave for a while!!!

I had a liberal teacher...

he only gave the boys the strap.

Until the day that I asked for the strap instead of 100 lines on the grounds that I had a high pain threshold and a busy evening .

I did think he was going to spontaneously combust - but when you have shown your hand (ie already given your maximum punishment) you have nowhere to go!

Norky i would have thought it had been banned by the time you were at school?

I'm 28 and we had the cane or the ruler. Got whacked on the palm with the ruler once for talking in class. Was careful not to get caught again!

The cane definitely made me more cautious of getting up to no good although I never heard of it actually being used on a girl in my school.

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Austinsmam- being the same age as Norky, it was (and i think still is) allowed in public schools.

It was the Lochgelly Tawse in my day, though rarely used on girls. In first year (aged 12ish) some of the boys in my class decided to have a competition to see who could get most strokes of the belt by the end of first term. Our French teacher was a small, bird-like woman seeing out her last year until retirement, and she wasn't much good at giving the belt - so the boys played up terribly in her class, to get the stroke-count up with minimal pain.

Until she sent them to the Head of the PE department for their punishment. That put their gas at a peep, so yes, it worked.

My late FIL was a woodwork teacher, and every year would put the fear of God Mr X into his students by driving a six inch nail into the thick wooden workbench, with only a strike or two of the tawse.

Same hole every year, mind, but it meant he didn't have to actually belt a child very often.

I'm guessing Norky was either at a private school or outside England and Wales? Corporal punishment became illegal in state schools in England and Wales in 1987.

I'm 39 and we got rulers, canes, blackboard rubbers aimed at heads and slaps and yes I think it did make us behave better

I'm 41 and teachers up here in Scotland had special split leather belts (also called the tawse). My P5 teacher had names for his two eg. "Ivan the terrible". Just getting them out and leaving them on the desk in view quietened everyone down, whacking the desk was next. I can only remember one or two boys getting the belt (never girls!) and it was a big deal. I remeber two boys getting the belt for cheek in irst year high school, that teacher def lost it and that was a bit shocking, it was banned a few years later. My sons teacher has been teaching for about 30 plus years and she brought one in to show the children during a history project, they were very shocked.

Wow at caning in (2009 minus 11) 1998!!!

I am 41. At primary school, boys got caned girls didn't. I look back on that as pretty old fashioned...

I do - I am 37 and remember slippers, rulers and the occasional slap on the back of the legs. I am not sure it made the badly behaved behave any better but just served to scare those who probably would have behaved well anyway with or without the threat.

I was at a primary school in the 1960s and there was virtually no corporal punishment. Any that was dealt out had to be recorded in a special book and it had been used about once every two to three years (may have even stopped by the time I was there) so was more a legend than a reality. Surprised that it was still common in other schools in the 70s and 80s.

Oh yes I got a wooden ruler thwacked across my knuckles fairly frequently. And chalk thrown at me. I was caned across the back of the legs by the Headmaster just the once. And I wasn't naughty, I was just passionate about speaking out when I saw injustice. It certainly didn't make me behave better I thought it was outrageous. And I kept telling them they were taking their own frustrations at their lack of career success out on poor defenceless children.

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Lilymaid - I don't remember anyone ever being hit in primary school.

I am 36 and the slipper was a bid deal at my primary school

Born in 1971. In junior school children were sent to the headmaster for a smack - not sure exactly where or with what as I was never sent.

One or two of teachers were rather aggressive too. One used to smack boys on the back of the head with a book if they were messing about.

My reception teacher had what one might now call anger management issues. I have vivid memories of her getting cross near the end of the day when the dcs were tired and messing about instead of tidying up. She would hit/smack a bit like a mother might smack a child.

Unbelievable now I have a child in reception myself. (obviously it was still legal in those days though)

Dh born 1969 and went to an all boys state comprehensive. The cane was used quite enthusiastically and frequently I gather.

the slipper was at my primary school too.

I had the Lochgelly tawse in Primary 1 for scribbling on a boy's book (1966 age six).
In Secondary school we had one very sadistic teacher who kept his Lochgelly under his jacket - there were different thicknesses and weights and he would belt the entire class if need be.
No, it did not make any difference except for a lingering loathing for the teachers who used them.