Kids knew the teachers were in charge. It was rare to have discipline problems. You actually did your homework, for fear of what the consequences might be.

I guess elementary is like primary or prep in England? Rows of wooden desks with lids that lifted, to put books in, hard, sometimes splintered wooden bench to sit on.. teachers desk on a raised platform at the front. Black board and chalk, boys in shirt and tie, extremely short grey trousers, knee socks and shiny shoes,. Teacher in suit with black gown. A slipper or cane available for punishment.

I remember saying the Lord's Prayer (public school)
and the Pledge of Allegience.

I also remember doing the nuclear bomb drills ("duck and cover")

we didn't talk in class

we could be paddled but mainly had to write sentences or stand in the hall.

it was a lot simpler time

nobody carried a gun to school
sometimes we carried pocket knives - but didn't use them on other people

Teachers were in charge and we knew better than to talk back and act out. My fifth grade class had 36 students and teachers did not have time or patience for distractions

We had a big room full of desk with lids that opened up on a hinge. There were 30 to a classroom. We had one teacher. She was in charge.

My classroom might as well have been from the 60s. You really can't even spot the period in the pictures unless the date is on there.
The only difference from mine was a slight update in the teacher's hairstyle.

Edit, that turned out to be an 80s one from my period 😂

60s:

Duck and cover drills were fairly common in my school. And since we were in San Francisco, all the kids wore metal dogtags with name, address and blood type. I found mine in an old jewelry box recently.

Respectful
Restrictive
Just like the movies portray