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School corporal punishment [I Received Corporal Punishment At School]

Corporal punishment was in frequent use at my all boys grammar school.

Most of the teachers kept canes in their classrooms though some used them much more often than others. In class the cane was given on the hands. If you were sent to the headmaster, as happened to me twice, he would cane you on the bottom and his cane was longer and thicker than the ones used by the other teachers.

The slipper (plimsoll) was also used, though only by the PE and Games masters.

The teacher who used the cane most often was Mr Chapman who took me for Latin in the second and third years. He would set weekly tests which were marked out of ten. Any boy who scored less than 7 would get the cane. A mark of 6 would mean one stroke, 5 two strokes and so on. I don’t think that anyone ever actually got nought, but the maximum would have been 6 strokes. It certainly incentivised us to prepare for the tests!

I was quite good at Latin, though I have forgotten it all now, but still got the cane from him twice after a test, once scoring six and the other time five. The procedure was that in the next lesson after we had done the test the papers would be handed back and we would see our scores. And then you would know if you were for it or not. He had kept a note of everyone who hadn’t got 7 and would call the boys out to the front. Most weeks there would be at least one boy called out and I think the most was six or seven boys. He really whacked the cane down hard too.
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miscreant6x6 · 56-60, M
Latin teachers were always the worst in my experience. Hardest language and strictest discipline. And 7 is such a high pass mark to avoid the rod.
Codrin · M
@miscreant6x6 Here too... All conjugations and declensions were learnt with the switch. Got a lot
miscreant6x6 · 56-60, M
@Codrin Just looking at the original post - if a mark of 1 earned 6 strokes of the cane, I'm wondering if a pathetic zero was like throwing a double six and you got a dozen ? I'd have been very worried at each test.
Sharon · F
@miscreant6x6 Romanes eunt domus. :)
miscreant6x6 · 56-60, M
@Sharon What did the Romans ever do for us ?
Sharon · F
@miscreant6x6 The aqueduct.
miscreant6x6 · 56-60, M
@Sharon You are too good for me. Why I was always getting caned !
Sharon · F
@miscreant6x6 I was always in trouble too.
miscreant6x6 · 56-60, M
@Sharon Nothing quite like me, I'm willing to wager. Ouch
Sharon · F
@miscreant6x6 I wouldn't be so sure. There weren't many weeks when I didn't get the slipper.
miscreant6x6 · 56-60, M
@Sharon Like me, you possibly secretly had a craving for it....
Sharon · F
@miscreant6x6 Possibly. ;)
miscreant6x6 · 56-60, M
@Sharon I think we're kindred spirits Sharon x