Robin, I cannot agree with you. I received the strap - six of the best on my hands when I was 12 years old at Naenae Intermediate in 1961. I throughly deserved it as I had been following a Special Needs Pupil with Down's Syndrome and imitating his lumbering gait. The duty teacher found me and got me to go to the cloakroom between two of the classrooms and await his arrival. Yes I was scared but as I have said I throughly deserved the punishment as my behaviour was despicable.