I Used to Get the Cane At School

I'm my school it was always given on the hands, 2, 4 or the dreaded 6 depending on the seriousness of the offence. Missing homework, or not completing it, we got 2-4, being late for class usually resulted in 4 strokes, (which was excruciating given on cold hands in winter), for smoking we definitely got 6, fighting 6, make-up 4 (and made was it off), messing in the corridors 2-4, leaving school without permission 6. Wearing short skirts was tolerated most of the time, but we wore them really short, taking advantage of the lenient attitude of the school. Tights were not fashionable among the teenagers at that time, it was knee socks rolled down to the shoes, leaving a lot of bare leg. Even in winter the style never changed, our legs stung with the cold and were permanently covered in goose bumps. We didn't roll the skirts up, they were just short, straight, about 14ins long.
We liked our uniform, we felt good in it and were the envy of other schools in the town, whose uniforms were more traditional.
However, some conservative residents saw us as 'loose girls' dressed inappropriately, complained to the school about our appearance. We were given an opportunity to buy new longer skirts which were to be worn to the top of the knee, and socks were to be pulled up from the ankles to mid calf. About 30 senior girls complied, but all the rest of us ignored the rule change and carried on wearing the shorter skirts. This lead to many girls receiving the cane. At first we only got 2 strokes, one on each hand, which was more a discomfort than a real punishment, but this increased to 4 strokes, leading eventually to 6, with 3 on each hand.
6 of the cane was painful to say the least, it was a bad break to get caught. Now it didn't happen every day, sometimes weeks passed and no one got caught, other times girls got canned twice in one week. Decisions had to be made, were we prepared to take the punishments in order to keep our skirts short, or should we forfeit the fashionable skirts to avoid the risk of being caned? That was a choice every girl had to make for herself, it was her hands that were at risk, the strokes were extremely painful, plus the embarrassment of being pulled out class, taken to the office, receiving 4-6 of the cane, coming back to class with everyone staring, sitting trying to cool burning hands on cold legs, while attempting to look tough, as though it wasn't a bother...
I didn't adapt to the new length, kept the shorter version till I got out after 'A' levels, it got me 16 strokes between November and June, 2 strokes first offence, 4 strokes the second and third, 6 the last time, which was end of May. Had I been going back in Sept I'd have given in and purchased a longer skirt, the 6 was awful, beyond words how painful it was, plus I got it in front of the whole class. About 19 girls in my class got 6 that day, it was designed to scare the juniors into complying, and it worked.
The following term, short skirts were gone, all worn to the knee, with the socks pulled up to calf length. I was glad to be out of that place with my dignity intact.

It was common in British schools up until about the late eighties

They could do that?

When I went it was four of the best for minor infractions, and 6 for serious!

I went to a religious school and they were very common.

On hands is not good , if they have another option 😉

What had you done to get that, Lisa?

where was your school

A teacher struck me on the hands, once.
He never tried that again.

It was very painful and dangerous on the hands. better to bend over!