Thirteen schools in Northern Ireland have so far been examined.
Of these:
10 schools contained reports of corporal punishment
3 produced no reports
A total of approximately 50 individual cases was identified.
The earliest recollections date from approximately 1964–68, while the latest came from the period shortly before abolition.
Among the reports where sufficient information was available, the cane applied to the hand was by far the most frequently mentioned method.
The provisional breakdown was:
Cane on hand — 50%
Cane, location unspecified — 28%
Slipper — 8%
Cane elsewhere — 6%
Bat — 2%
Hockey stick — 2%
Ruler — 2%
Unidentified wooden implement — 2%
The percentages are approximate and have been rounded.
What is immediately noticeable is the prominence of punishment to the hand.
