Having the stick/dap in school

[elytillidie]

Re: Having the stick/dap in school

If it was the same 'offence' committed each time you would have a point but it wasn't. There could be a number of reasons why corporal punishment was given. Even well behaved kids (and I consider myself to have been one) were sometimes in the wrong place at the wrong time and ended up getting the stick. And, as has been pointed out by many on here, some of the teachers were psycho and liked nothing better than to live up to their reputations.

If corporal punishment was outlawed by the time you went to school, you should consider yourself lucky. Very few of us were badly behaved (except Tuerto, who apparently was a very naughty boy !) but that didn't prevent us facing the dreaded cane.

At one time Mostyn consisted of Upper and Lower School (old Cyntwell), we often had to commute between the two for different lessons. One day, unsure as to where we were supposed to be for some reason, maybe a teachers absence, us boys started kicking a ball around. When we were discovered, every single one of us were caned. One particularly well behaved lad nigh on passed out, had to be seated till he recovered, poor sod. Don't think it did us any long term damage though.

[Stanmore Bluebird]

Re: Having the stick/dap in school

Moodybluebird, I actually left school in 1972 after A levels. Attended Whitchurch Grammar which turned comprehensive in my 4th year there. As I wrote much earlier in this thread, the cane was used very sparingly as most of my peers wanted a good education with a sound job to follow. We were basically there to learn and well behaved. I was out of my depth somewhat in the top set and had to concentrate all the time when up against my classmates who were generally brighter than me!

Corporal punishment may have been used more in the growing number of lower sets and the increased quantity of classes each year upon becoming comprehensive - I don’t know.

[KevDeri]

Re: Having the stick/dap in school

Heolddu Comp. English teacher (Miss Why) sent me to the head (Ceri Edwards) for writing "Dad said, get out of bed you lazy bugger' in an essay. Don't think either dad or myself knew what the dictionary definition was until we were both lectured on it after I refused the cane!

[jimmyscoular]

Re: Having the stick/dap in school

If it was the same 'offence' committed each time you would have a point but it wasn't. There could be a number of reasons why corporal punishment was given. Even well behaved kids (and I consider myself to have been one) were sometimes in the wrong place at the wrong time and ended up getting the stick. And, as has been pointed out by many on here, some of the teachers were psycho and liked nothing better than to live up to their reputations.

If corporal punishment was outlawed by the time you went to school, you should consider yourself lucky. Very few of us were badly behaved (except Tuerto, who apparently was a very naughty boy !) but that didn't prevent us facing the dreaded cane.

Sometimes it didn't take anything at all. We had a music teacher at St. Illtyd's by the name of Mr. Watkins. We dubbed him "Whacker Watkins." At the beginning of every class he would randomly select three pupils to come down and get one swipe across the rear with his bamboo cane. Random. A warning to everyone else to behave. Must admit it was effective as we sat there quietly and obediently pondering the inner meaning of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf.

[Moodybluebird]

Re: Having the stick/dap in school

Sometimes it didn't take anything at all. We had a music teacher at St. Illtyd's by the name of Mr. Watkins. We dubbed him "Whacker Watkins." At the beginning of every class he would randomly select three pupils to come down and get one swipe across the rear with his bamboo cane. Random. A warning to everyone else to behave. Must admit it was effective as we sat there quietly and obediently pondering the inner meaning of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf.

That is just so wrong. Reading some of the instances of unjustified punishment on here, it is a surprise that more parents didn't turn up at school and flatten some of the teachers.

[Croesy Blue]

Re: Having the stick/dap in school

You a having a laugh about kids being polite these days. I got on a bus when my van broke down which was crowded and there were eldely women standing. Do you think they would get up and offer them their seat,fat chance. When i was young if you were not polite to grown ups you had a leathering with a belt. People might say that is wrong but if my old man was still alive today i'd shake him by the hand for it. It taught me manners. As a teacher you can comment as you see them everyday,i can only comment on what i see.

It's always been like that and always will be. The madest thing I think is old ***** always whinge about it as if it was actually different in their day when they were actully little bastrds too. Someone being an abusive **** with a belt is much worse than not giving up a seat ffs.

I'm in my 30s and kids are no worse now than they were 20 years ago and from the stories I've heard off my old man and his old man things have probably changed for the better.

Always makes me think of this quote, madness that anyone actually thinks like this.

AUTHOR: Socrates (469–399 B.C.)
QUOTATION: The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.

[Cyncoed Slumdog]

Re: Having the stick/dap in school

That is just so wrong. Reading some of the instances of unjustified punishment on here, it is a surprise that more parents didn't turn up at school and flatten some of the teachers.

In those days, if I came home and told my parents I had been caned they would have presumed I deserved it. I doubt if many kids even told their parents for the same rreason.
Having worked in Schools, some parents are up at the drop of a hat these days.

[alfie]

Re: Having the stick/dap in school

It's always been like that and always will be. The madest thing I think is old ***** always whinge about it as if it was actually different in their day when they were actully little bastrds too. Someone being an abusive **** with a belt is much worse than not giving up a seat ffs.

I'm in my 30s and kids are no worse now than they were 20 years ago and from the stories I've heard off my old man and his old man things have probably changed for the better.

Always makes me think of this quote, madness that anyone actually thinks like this.

But have they changed for the better? I can double your age and more and im sure my age group would agree that they haven't. Sure we used to get up to no good but not on the scale of todays younger generation. Kids today are smart,they know what they can get away with where as we could not.I would argue the fact that in my day we had more respect than they have today. As for being abusive,it didn't do me any harm and was a deterrent. I was lucky as i never had to beat my kids as i found another alternative.

[jimmyscoular]

Re: Having the stick/dap in school

This has been an interesting thread. Corporal punishment is one of those issues where I have always been able to see both sides. I don't like it, but neither do I like obnoxious, disruptive kids making it impossible for everyone else to learn. As I look back to those long-ago high school days I remember relatively few disrupted classes. Most teachers had their ways of maintaining order. I recall a newly arrived English teacher (prime material for abuse) warning us that he had served in North Africa during WWII with the famous Desert Rats and that he would tolerate no nonsense. He never had a problem. A gentle French teacher, however, suffered terribly. Every class was like something out of St. Trinian's — totally out of control. Some kids earned their whacks.

[Taunton Blue Genie]

Re: Having the stick/dap in school

When I was at school (late sixties, early seventies) most of the teachers seemed to be disciplinarians and were punitive in nature - but a French teacher came along who was a complete wonder. His name was Ravvi Mooneeram. He was an Indian ethnic gentleman from Mauritius and he taught at Cyntwell Secondary School. He was revolutionary in that he injected fun and humour into his teaching and even used to talk to us occasionally in Welsh just to confuse us. The guy oozed personality and positivity.
I left Cyntwell after two years but I never forgot him. In fact, when my mother died I realised that we should express to those people who left a positive mark on us how we felt about them. I looked up his name in the telephone book and spoke to what seemed a younger gentleman who wanted to know why I was ringing. It turned out to be Mr Mooneeram's son and his dad had died a few days before.
His son took some comfort in my words but I should have tried to make contact and thanked his Dad decades earlier.

[Wash DC Blue]

Re: Having the stick/dap in school

When I was at school (late sixties, early seventies) most of the teachers seemed to be disciplinarians and were punitive in nature - but a French teacher came along who was a complete wonder. His name was Ravvi Mooneeram. He was an Indian ethnic gentleman from Mauritius and he taught at Cyntwell Secondary School. He was revolutionary in that he injected fun and humour into his teaching and even used to talk to us occasionally in Welsh just to confuse us. The guy oozed personality and positivity.
I left Cyntwell after two years but I never forgot him. In fact, when my mother died I realised that we should express to those people who left a positive mark on us how we felt about them. I looked up his name in the telephone book and spoke to what seemed a younger gentleman who wanted to know why I was ringing. It turned out to be Mr Mooneeram's son and his dad had died a few days before.
His son took some comfort in my words but I should have tried to make contact and thanked his Dad decades earlier.

What a great story!

[splott parker]

Re: Having the stick/dap in school

When I was at school (late sixties, early seventies) most of the teachers seemed to be disciplinarians and were punitive in nature - but a French teacher came along who was a complete wonder. His name was Ravvi Mooneeram. He was an Indian ethnic gentleman from Mauritius and he taught at Cyntwell Secondary School. He was revolutionary in that he injected fun and humour into his teaching and even used to talk to us occasionally in Welsh just to confuse us. The guy oozed personality and positivity.
I left Cyntwell after two years but I never forgot him. In fact, when my mother died I realised that we should express to those people who left a positive mark on us how we felt about them. I looked up his name in the telephone book and spoke to what seemed a younger gentleman who wanted to know why I was ringing. It turned out to be Mr Mooneeram's son and his dad had died a few days before.
His son took some comfort in my words but I should have tried to make contact and thanked his Dad decades earlier.

Great teachers do leave a mark on you, John Williams, one of Lady Mary’s finest, passed away recently, I’m so glad that I’d had a pint with him now and again in The Royal Oak post school days.

[Taunton Blue Genie]

Re: Having the stick/dap in school

Great teachers do leave a mark on you, John Williams, one of Lady Mary’s finest, passed away recently, I’m so glad that I’d had a pint with him now and again in The Royal Oak post school days.

Quite a few bad teachers left a mark on me too.

[life on mars]

Re: Having the stick/dap in school

That surely has to be Graham Webb? He used to be our PE teacher at Glantaf, before it changed to a Welsh school.
He was a good 'un - still holds the Welsh triple jump record I believe.

Thats the man he broke his collar bone in a game of murder ball , top lad and character.