I remember the times when I hated Mondays and sometimes Fridays in school. Mondays were assembly and inspection days. All the teachers lined up to inspect our appearance, including our hair, fingernails, socks, shoes, and uniforms. Those who were not properly dressed were punished in front of the school.
Even though it was meant to be a serious moment, it often ended up generating laughter from the crowd, as everyone being caned had different styles of receiving the lashes and reactions. It was hard not to laugh, even for the teachers.
We were often more scared of some teachers than others. When we heard the phrase "all heads on the table," we knew we were in trouble.
There was one teacher we used to call "Power." He was strict and knew how to cane, eeeii. Because of his talent, every student in his class excelled in his subject, and no one failed. His class never had any underperforming students.
While the cane was effective in maintaining discipline and ensuring that all students learned, some teachers abused its use. Some teachers would get angry and hurt students with the cane, which led to its eventual ban.
Once, a teacher hit my head with a cane, and I cried a lot that day. He later tried to apologize, but I was too angry to speak with him.
In my opinion, canes aren't entirely bad. They help to maintain discipline and can promote learning to some extent. However, the abuse of canes turns them into weapons of punishment rather than tools for correction and love.
If used properly and with care, canes can be effective in maintaining discipline, otherwise, it is best banned.