How about:In some schools, to ensure Welsh children spoke English, the Welsh Not was used; a policy seen as a hated symbol of English oppression. The "not", a piece of wood hung round the neck by string, was given to any child overheard speaking Welsh, who would pass it to a different child if overheard speaking Welsh, and at the end of the day the wearer of the "not" would be beaten. However, after the school boards were absorbed by the county councils following the Local Government Act 1888, instruction in Welsh in elementary schools became the norm in Welsh-speaking areas.... 
 There is no need to make too much of this in this article - linked articles cover it in more detail.  The {{cn}} tag would be filled by the Encyclopedia ref details.