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Teachers should be allowed to be tougher when it comes to classroom discipline, according to a survey.
A poll, commissioned by the Times Education Supplement, of more than 2,000 parents revealed that 49 per cent of them wanted to see a return to the days when smacking and caning were allowed in schools.
And, unexpectedly 20 per cent of secondary school children agreed with them.
The survey revealed that 91 per cent of parents and 62 per cent of children thought teachers should be tougher on children, with techniques like suspension, expulsion and detention gaining approval from both groups.
It also showed that 85 per cent of parents believed teachers were now less respected than when they were at school.
Education secretary Michael Gove, who is against returning caning to the classroom, said: "Parents and students know we have to give teachers more authority. Strong discipline is vital for effective teaching.
"There are many great heads and teachers who run schools where children behave well and achieve. But in some of our most challenging areas there are profound problems, as the events of last month underlined.
"That is why we need to give teachers more power to keep order and emphasise that adult authority should be respected and teachers obeyed."
Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWTunion, said: "A mythology has grown up around corporal punishment and its effectiveness which was never borne out by reality.
"A study of inspection reports from the 50s and 60s highlighted behaviour that would not be tolerated today, such as vandalising school property or assaulting teachers.
"These were common features of life in many schools in years gone by despite the routine use of corporal punishment.
"In fact, evidence suggests that behaviour has improved significantly since corporal punishment was abolished."
The YouGov poll surveyed 2,014 UK parents with children at secondary school and 530 secondary-age pupils between August 19-30.
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd
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