Physical punishment was banned in government schools in NSW under the Education Act 1990 (NSW). The Education Reform Amendment (School Discipline) Act 1995 extended the ban on physical punishment to non-government schools.

However in the US (of course), corporal punishment is legal in 19 states. A Missouri school district has reinstated this form of physical punishment after parents reportedly called for their kids to be spanked with a wooden paddle, the superintendent claimed.

The punishment will only be administered in front of a witness and will not cause ‘bodily injury or harm.’

Cassville R-IV School District, located near the Arkansas border, has implemented corporal punishment as a ‘last resort’ going into the 2022-23 school year.

‘It shall be used only when all other alternative means of discipline have failed,’ the policy reads. ‘It should never be inflicted in the presence of other students.’

The superintendent Merlyn Johnson claimed that parents began asking ‘why can’t you paddle my student?’ and requesting they reinstate the outdated punishment

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‘There had been a conversation with parents and there had been requests from parents for us to look into it,’ he told the Springfield News-Leader. ‘We’ve had people actually thank us for it.

Older students whose parents opt-in could receive up to three spanks per punishment, while younger scholars will receive one to two spanks. Staff members will be able to employ ‘reasonable physical force.’

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