Twenty or thirty years ago it used to be common for corporal punishment to be used in British schools as punishment for infractions. Nowadays, it seems that the teachers are not allowed to touch any of the pupils to discipline them.
It seems that it has swung from one extreme to another as to how far a teacher is allowed to use physical force in the classroom. With more and more teachers being sued for any physical contact, they feel they have no backing when it comes to dealing with troublesome pupils, given that the governing bodies, more often than not, give in to the parents in these situations.
The question is: how much force should a teacher be allowed to use when dealing with pupils.
Is corporal punishment a good instruction to a pupil not to do something, or should no force be used at all. Should a teacher allowed to restrain a pupil if they are causing trouble without fear of a lawsuit or should schools employ people who are trained to make the decision instead and leave the teachers to teaching.
Discipline at school is important, but should it be backed up by force or by words alone?