-- THE ARCHIVE --

AUSTRALIA
School CP - October 2008

The South Australian Government has admitted that corporal punishment is still technically allowed in schools across the state.

But it is proposing changes to the 36-year-old Education Act that would see the practice legally banned.

Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith says corporal punishment stopped in public schools in the early 90s and most private schools have also banned it.

She says a lot of people do not realise it is still technically legal.

"There is an impression that it had been banned, and indeed public schools do not allow corporal punishment," she said.

"But I understand there are non-government schools that still do allow the practice, but it's really not normal practice across Australia."