When I started school, I was called to the front of the class to be smacked, which began a chain of events that led to a phobia of physical contact and being away from my parents.

But it is effective in stopping bad behaviour. If I started my schooldays in the era of the smack, so did the children I was at school with. This included the boy who ran me over with his bicycle.

This included the boy who thought it would be funny to claim that my uncle's cat had died just to upset me. These included the children who would circle me to stop me moving. These included the children who when they went to fast food outlets would stuff their meals up each others noses. I remember a teacher taking the slipper to one child yet these examples of bad behaviour all took place after that incident.

Sunil Hiranandani

Kenton Road

Harrow