Swish… thwack. After the war, one British tradition continued unabated: beating children in schools. It wasn’t until the early 1990s that it was completely outlawed. Why was the UK so attached to corporal punishment and what it did it take to change the law?

Ros Taylor talks to journalist Andrew Brown, who was beaten as a boy, and University of Sheffield historian Heather Ellis about why beatings were seen as an important preparation for life — especially life defending the remains of the British Empire.

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• “The first time it was more shocking and humiliating than painful, but it could be bloody painful too.” – Andrew Brown

• “It had to do with an elite model of masculinity which argued that to bring out the manly character in boys they were required to withstand considerable levels of bodily pain — and to be seen to bear them.” – Heather Ellis

• “It wasn’t until I came across the novels of Simon Raven that I realised there might be people who got enjoyment out of it, and that was despite reading a lot of James Bond.” – Andrew Brown

Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Jade Bailey. Original music by Dubstar. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Jam Tomorrow is a Podmasters production

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