Faith schools lose smacking battle

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Guardian

Press Association
Thursday February 24, 2005

An attempt to bring back corporal punishment by teachers and parents of children at four independent Christian schools was rejected by the House of Lords today.

The teachers and parents claimed at a hearing before five law lords in December that the ban on corporal punishment infringed their human rights.

They said their schools were set up specifically to provide a Christian education based on Biblical observance and this meant the use of corporal punishment on a limited basis as part of their beliefs.

Giving the lead ruling today, Lord Nicholls of Birkenhead said their beliefs "involve inflicting physical violence on children in an institutional setting".

http://education.guardian.co.uk/schools/story/0,5500,1424320,00.html