Recollections of School

It seems strange now looking back on it, but until the 1980’s corporal punishment was absolutely the norm in schools and nobody thought this odd or strange. Suggestions that it should be stopped were met with looks of astonishment. Naughty children were caned, that was what you did, why should anybody think otherwise. And it was indeed a deterrent. Nobody liked being caned, well I suppose some people might have, it was just a regular hazard of being a schoolboy. If you spoke or ate in class you would be called to the front and told to hold out your hand to get two sharp whacks, but if you were really naughty you were sent to the headmistress to get your bottom caned! It seems bizarre now but she spent a good half hour first thing caning the naughtiest children. I was a real goody-goody child and I only got sent to the headmistress once and I can’t even remember why! But I do remember lining up outside her office with the other naughty children to wait my turn. I actually think the caning on the hand was more painful, but I can remember getting my bottom caned much more clearly. I mean it was just six sharp whacks, not hard at all, but there was a degree of ceremony to it, bending over the desk with your trousers down, that made it memorable. Anyway it was stopped when I was 13. Happy days!