Prefect (academic)
A prefect (from the Latin praefectus, perfect participle of praeficere: "make in front", i.e., put in charge) is a senior student given limited authority over other students to work as extensions of the school administration. They're responsible to see school rules are followed when a teacher or other staff are not around. They typically can give out lesser punishments for lesser offenses. More major offenses, or any offense by someone in their own year group (prefect or not) must be referred to the appropriate teacher or Dean.
Normally not all seniors students were made prefects. Typically the Head Boy and/or Head Girl (depending on co-educational status of the school) and school sport team captains were automatically made prefects. The rest of the prefect numbers would be filled in by students accepted by the school administration. Though such automatic placements could be ignored as a snub to students that are at odds with administration. In his autobiography of his young years (see "Boy" by Roald Dahl) received such a snub, despite becoming a rare double sports captain, due to his open disagreement about corporal punishment.
Prefects and spanking
As prefects could give out lesser punishments, in schools where corporal punishment could be used for such punishments, a prefect could administer them. This normally ruled out the most severe implement used in the school. In some schools, particularly boarding schools, where officially prefects could not use such punishments, the school would turn a blind eye to prefects doing so, particularly on the most junior students.
Some schools would assign a first-year student to work as a type of personal assistant to a prefect (see fagging), and a prefect could use CP on their fags for failing in such duties. The Head Boy/Head Girl, in addition to their own fag, would have use of any of the fags nearby. An example of this can be found in Bryce Courtenay's "The Power of One".
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