A little learning is a dangerous thing. skyofblue leans to heavily on wikipedia for information. Beware. Most Europeans were illiterate until the 19th century. Universal public education didn't begin until the late 1800s and ethnic groups usually kept to themselves and the authorities had no problem with that.

As for beating children, I think you're being a bit daft. Caning, strapping, slippering, or paddling students has been a waning practise for a long time and was even been banned altogether as early as the 18th century. Toronto outlawed the practice in 1971. But the private schools you cite would be very cautious of using violence as they depended on wealthy patronage and couldn't count on it if their students loathed them.