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Recent attempts by a television reality show to replicate education in the 50s were doomed to fail: quite simply, they could not recreate the fear of corporal punishment, administered by teachers who often wielded the cane, just because they could.
This BLOG is dedicated to everyone who attended secondary (and primary?) school in the era of corporal punishment, and who suffered at the hands of teachers who subscribed to the educational theory of 'This is going to hurt me more than it will hurt you!'.
Below are some of the 'offences' for which we were punished ...
GS West Hartlepool Grammar School For Boys
GR West Hartlepool Grammar School For Boys
4 I was given SIX strokes of the cane by my English teacher who took exception to the way I pronounced the word 'schedule'. I had pronounced it as the american 'skedule, instead of the english 'shedule'. Before each stroke, he snarled "How do you pronounce it?"
HS West Hartlepool Grammar School For Boys
PL Brierton Secondary Modern School
7 I was caned by the Headmaster because he saw me en route to school, talking to a girl from the neighbouring Girls' High School.
MH West Hartlepool Grammar School For Boys
8 I was caned because when summoned to see the Headmaster in his study, I trod on his carpet, instead of keeping to the linoleum reserved for 'the plebs' !
BG West Hartlepool Grammar School For Boys
9 At the age of 11, I was punished by my History teacher, because he would not accept that I could not write neatly: I was made to rewrite my homework. He saw it as no better, told me to roll up my (short) trouser leg, and promptly hit me three times with the flat of his hand ! To this day, I cannot write neatly
PD West Hartlepool Grammar School For Boys
10 I was caned by my Maths teacher, because he considered I had overreacted when taking evasive action to avoid a bogey flicked by him, as we worked, while he sat with his feet up reading The Daily Mirror
JT West Hartlepool Grammar School For Boys
11 I was given 100 lines by the head boy as part of a whole class punishment for noise outside the chemistry lecture theatre. Although I was at the doctors at the time, this failed to serve as a reasonable excuse. I was subsequently caned by the Headmaster for my protest, and for showing disrespect to his head boy. Incredible! Ouch!
RB West Hartlepool Grammar School
12 At Junior School, at the start of the school day, the whole class was tested on our 'times tables'. Those who underperformed were rapped across the knuckles with a ruler. At the end of the day, we were again tested; underperformers were again punished with the ruler. This took place most days! Strangely enough, we became quite numerate!
DK Brougham Junior School
Has anybody any similar experiences?
Leave your anecdotes for publication.
This BLOG is dedicated to everyone who attended secondary (and primary?) school in the era of corporal punishment, and who suffered at the hands of teachers who subscribed to the educational theory of 'This is going to hurt me more than it will hurt you!'.
Below are some of the 'offences' for which we were punished ...
GS West Hartlepool Grammar School For Boys
2 I was caned by the Headmaster, because he didn't like the way I wrote the letter 'f'.
LS West Hartlepool Grammar School For Boys
GR West Hartlepool Grammar School For Boys
4 I was given SIX strokes of the cane by my English teacher who took exception to the way I pronounced the word 'schedule'. I had pronounced it as the american 'skedule, instead of the english 'shedule'. Before each stroke, he snarled "How do you pronounce it?"
HS West Hartlepool Grammar School For Boys
PL Brierton Secondary Modern School
6 I was caned by the Headmaster within ten minutes of entering secondary school: as the register was being taken, the Headmaster appeared, wishing to speak to our form teacher. He warned the class not to speak. I made the mistake of saying to my neighbour, "Who's that?", was spotted and sent to his study where I was duly caned.
TS West Hartlepool Grammar School For Boys
7 I was caned by the Headmaster because he saw me en route to school, talking to a girl from the neighbouring Girls' High School.
MH West Hartlepool Grammar School For Boys
8 I was caned because when summoned to see the Headmaster in his study, I trod on his carpet, instead of keeping to the linoleum reserved for 'the plebs' !
BG West Hartlepool Grammar School For Boys
9 At the age of 11, I was punished by my History teacher, because he would not accept that I could not write neatly: I was made to rewrite my homework. He saw it as no better, told me to roll up my (short) trouser leg, and promptly hit me three times with the flat of his hand ! To this day, I cannot write neatly
PD West Hartlepool Grammar School For Boys
10 I was caned by my Maths teacher, because he considered I had overreacted when taking evasive action to avoid a bogey flicked by him, as we worked, while he sat with his feet up reading The Daily Mirror
JT West Hartlepool Grammar School For Boys
11 I was given 100 lines by the head boy as part of a whole class punishment for noise outside the chemistry lecture theatre. Although I was at the doctors at the time, this failed to serve as a reasonable excuse. I was subsequently caned by the Headmaster for my protest, and for showing disrespect to his head boy. Incredible! Ouch!
RB West Hartlepool Grammar School
12 At Junior School, at the start of the school day, the whole class was tested on our 'times tables'. Those who underperformed were rapped across the knuckles with a ruler. At the end of the day, we were again tested; underperformers were again punished with the ruler. This took place most days! Strangely enough, we became quite numerate!
DK Brougham Junior School
Has anybody any similar experiences?
Leave your anecdotes for publication.
posted by gscarratt @ 5:17 pm
2 Comments:
At 2:29 pm,
Anonymous said…
It's not just the use of violence but the threat of violence that does the trick. Not long after starting at the Technical Day School for Boys I remember hearing tales about a vicious young teacher called Mr Scarratt who had just started his first teaching job.
Legend had it that Scarratty used a size 12 plimsol to beat the buttocks of the culprits but before he did this he cleared chairs and desks to form a runway along the length of the classroom. The 'victim' was then told the bend over a desk and grip the legs of the desk with his arms. From a run-up position that the great Michael Holding would be proud of, Scarratty came steaming in from the cenotaph end and landed the most fearsome blow to the 'victim's' buttocks. One was always enough.
I recall one day two of the hardest lads in the school were chosen by Scarratty for the 'treatment'. Jock Jordan and Dick McManus were the sort of lads you wouldn't dream of fighting but both were reduced to tears after one swipe from Scarratty.
Strange as it sounds, I can't actually recall whether or not I was ever punished by Mr Scarratt. The fact that I can't remember it and that I don't bear the scars suggest that I wasn't one of his victims. If I had been I'm sure I'd have remembered it.
I sometimes see Mr Scarratt. he actually seems quite normal. Surely some mistake.
At 10:07 am,
malk said…
I went to a strict mixed grammar school in the 60's where only boys were whacked.
I got the slipper at least once a month . The games master would have regular kit inspections to ensure all kit was in pristine condition, he tended to choose a day after a muddy Rugby match , so we had no chance........He used a size 12 whippy gym shoe across our thin cotton shorts........ our bottoms really stung !!
Sometimes he would beat us for no reason and occasionally if there was any talking would line us up in the gym bent over and whack all of us.
I only got the cane twice , once for trusncy and once for running down the corridor. The ritual was the same , a summons into his office , a request to bend over a low bench , a flick with the cane to ensure our jackets out of the way . During the caning we had to count the strokes , something i forgot to do so I got 3 extra whacks !!
We were not expected to rub our bottoms until we got outside.
I suppose looking back the worst thing was that it was sexist and the irls were naughtier as a result because they could only get a detention or lines.
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