Only a minority support caning in school - good!

Caning and other forms of corporal punishment in state schools was banned in 1986, and in private schools (in England and Wales) in 1998.

So what is the latest public opinion?


Give head teachers in secondary schools the right to cane pupils who misbehave:
Overall: Support 39%, Oppose 52%, Net -13%
Net by voting intention: Conservative 0%, Labour -20%, Liberal Democrat -39%
Net by age: 18-24 -40%, 25-39 -36%, 40-59 -6%, 60+ +10%

This is only data from one point in time so it is not clear whether the age profile reflect supporters dying out or a constant increase in support as people age.

An article from the Guardian from September 2011 reported that "almost half of parents and nearly a fifth of children believe caning should be brought back to the classroom". The article doesn't link to the raw data but the careful wording implies that more than half (i.e. a majority) of parents did not support the return of the cane. A result consistent with the recent data.

In any case, as an opponent of corporal punishment, it is reassuring to me that there is currently not even a majority of support from conservative voters, and strong opposition from supporters of other parties.




(Background info can be found here)