School Punishment

[kazboot]

I was wondering when physical punishment was stopped at school.

My Junior School still used this until I left in 1971.
Not all teachers did this and the only teacher that did this to me was a male teacher in the second year when I was 8. He used to whack you on the palm of the hand with a ruler.

When I went to Senior School it was girls only and we never had this, but my husband who went to the adjoining all boys school was still being caned until 1974 when he left.

Seems incredible now.

[Marine Boy]

Re: School Punishment

Hi Kaz

Well, I was at secondary school between 1974 and 1979. I think the cane was withdrawn during this time. When I started at the school, I remember there was a rumour going round amongst the kids that you could 'refuse' the cane and get suspended for a few days instead, and that many children just agreed to being struck so they could then keep it from their parents. The girls only got the slipper, not the cane.

At Junior school, we had a very fierce head master, and once again, I believe he kept a cane but rarely used it. The deputy head used to occasionally whack a child's backside though.

The idea of a teacher using a ruler to strike the palm of an eight year old, seems astonishing now doesn't it?

[HG]

Re: School Punishment

There was no cane when I was in junior school between 78 and 82, but the deputy head had a slipper/plimsole called Herbert that was apparently used to deliver a good whack to offending pupils backsides. I never experienced it though being the good boy I am.

[Paulos]

Re: School Punishment

A BBC report I've just read states that corporal punishment in state schools in the UK was outlawed in 1986. I left school in 1987 and it was certainly around whilst I was there and although I never got caned friends of mine did.
I did however at primary school have to stand outside the headmasters room in the corridor facing the wall every break time for a week!!
Ahhh happy days!

[kazboot]

Re: School Punishment

There was no cane when I was in junior school between 78 and 82, but the deputy head had a slipper/plimsole called Herbert that was apparently used to deliver a good whack to offending pupils backsides. I never experienced it though being the good boy I am.

Yeah we believe you, Mike.

I'm actually surprised it was outlawed as late as 1987.
Does anyone have an opinion on whether it was a good or bad thing?

[HG]

Re: School Punishment

A good whack never did anyome any harm and if it made people think twice before doing something wrong I don't see the problem with it.

Regular and sustained beatings on the other hand are wrong. If a pupil continued to fail to behave after receiving the cane or other corporal punishment then it's obvious that it's not going to correct their behaviour.

[kazboot]

Re: School Punishment

I think I would have to agree with you on all points, Mike. I'm not sure what age it would be acceptable to start it though.

When you see the lack of discipline and respect in schools at present it does make you wonder what the answer is.

[HappinessDragon]

Re: School Punishment

Regular and sustained beatings on the other hand are wrong. If a pupil continued to fail to behave after receiving the cane or other corporal punishment then it's obvious that it's not going to correct their behaviour.

I agree, mein Herr.
I'm glad they abolished corporal punishment and don't think it ever worked and should not be brought back.
I remember we had a mad woman trying to teach us French in junior school. She'd throw the blackboard rubber and bits of chalk at you if she thought you were misbehaving. It never improved our behaviour or our French, so what was the point?

[Marine Boy]

Re: School Punishment

...I remember we had a mad woman trying to teach us French in junior school. She'd throw the blackboard rubber and bits of chalk at you if she thought you were misbehaving. It never improved our behaviour or our French, so what was the point?

You just reminded me of a teacher I once had when I was about 12. He started by throwing bits of chalk at the kids who were not paying attention and then graduated to those heavy wooden board rubbers. Thank goodness his aim was bad - though of course, it is quite likely he was missing on purpose.

[kazboot]

Re: School Punishment

My husband was telling me he used to have a board rubber thrown at him on occasion and was once whacked with a blackboard compass! The wingnut gave him a nasty bruise as well. I would consider that excessive punishment myself! He did also say that the boys loved trying to get away with being hurt by the cane by shoving exercise books down the back of their trousers.

[scotchmist]

Re: School Punishment

I went to a cut-throat comprehensive in Glasgow 1978-1984 where the strap was the favoured instrument of correction! If you got on the wrong side of a particularly sadistic male teacher (females could never use the strap correctly....there's a psychological study in the making!) you were in the wet brown mucky stuff! I can remember receiving the strap on a number of occasions for felonies such as running in the corridor and singing in the classroom! Quite tame by today's anarchic standards of deviant teenage behaviour! The pain as this one-inch thick piece of two-pronged leather came down upon your delicate teenage lily-white palm at the speed of light, would practically stop your heart! To be honest I don't think I've felt pain like it since, except that time with my Scout Master...when we shared a sleeping-bag....

[tonyfinster]

Re: School Punishment

corporal punishment in schools, them were the days.
my schools punishment was,
Netherton infant school 1972 -1975 over the headmistresses knee and spank time
South Crosland Moor Junior 1975 - 1979 Headmaster wielded an old leather slipper
Lepton Middle School 1979 - 1982 headmaster preferred a 1/2 metre wooden ruler
King James School 1982 - 1985 two headmasters, one had a proper thin cane and the other was a soft liberal who stopped the practice in 1985, it was about that time that i noticed the disrespectful attitude the year below me developed as there were no longer any deterrent for bad behaviour,
It seems that 1985 was the year that behavioural standards started slipping countrywide
No consequences for actions by anyone under 16 is why we are in the state we are.

[moonvisage]

Re: School Punishment

I remember getting the cane across my hand a couple of times and my bottom once,in 1978 or 1979.I remember people debating about it in school,but i never learnt whether they had stopped or not at the time.I think different schools were allowed to opt out of it around 1980,judging by the air of peace and freedom pupils had in our school.We had a new,christian headmaster who despised any kind of punishment to a child.

[branny]

Re: School Punishment

We used to have the cane in both primary and secondary school although the headmaster at primary school never used it. Got sent to the headmasters office when I was in secondary school but walked off after waiting half an hour and didn't hear anything else. With regards to object thrown by teachers, i've seen board rubbers, bunches of keys and even chairs. The best teachers to get caught fighting by were the PE teachers. They didn't mess about with canes and detentions. They'd just take you to the gym and give you a pair of boxing gloves each.

[polly-esther]

Re: School Punishment

I used to have a teacher who would grab you by the back of the neck and push your face down onto your work on the table so you could get a "closer look" at what you had done wrong!! Evil bully.