The Bible states, "Don't spare the rod" and no that does not mean beat and beat till black and blue with a heavy iron bar or stick.

It means discipline your children, and if it is required on accasion to smack then so be it.

I agree there is a big difference between a good hard beating and a smack.

The Bible also states teach your children from infancy meaning from very young, so then the discipline would have to be appropriate to age aswell, so rightly, discipline starts at home. I really am not sure personally whether there should be the slipper and the cane at school, although it did me no harm, there are other ways that can be used in schools.

But if you think about it, if good training and teaching comes first from the home then there should be less of a need for punishments at school.