Daft School Rules

Explore your roots & tell us your family's history!
Uno Hoo
Posts: 755
Joined: Fri 20 Jun, 2008 2:04 pm

Post by Uno Hoo »

Talking about corporal punishment in school made me think about the daft reasons why it was sometimes given. It wasn't just for talking in class and such, which under the norms of the time was accepted (although some examples were OTT as on the Things Not Seen Any More thread).1. On being summoned into school by the bell at 0900, first thing was to change into indoor shoes. Ostensible reasons were to reduce noise (questionable), and TO KEEP THE FLOORS CLEAN. Fine. Except there was no requirement to change during morning or afternoon breaks, or at lunchtime (for kids who stayed to lunch), and we were forced to go outside in breaks "to get some fresh air". So main purpose of first rule was negated by second rule. Problem. Each kid had an assigned peg and open box, i.e. no lid or lock, in which to store indoor shoes overnight. So, they got nicked. If this happened, you just had to go into assembly in outdoor shoes, where a row of prefects waited to examine footwear. Those without "pumps" were penalised by being given lines. No reasons for lack of pumps were listened to. Pumps had to be either black or white plimsoles, and if white, had to be kept pristine white by use of "blanco". 2. School caps had TO BE WORN AT ALL TIMES OUTSIDE SCHOOL. I broke this rule every day by not wearing mine in bed or in the bath.Again, caps got stolen, and, again, it was the victim who got punished. On the school bus, any boy daft enough to obey the school rule ran the risk of an oik from Primrose Hill Secondary Modern pulling it off his head and having it thrown out of the bus window. Primrose Hill oiks didn't have to wear uniform, so we superior grammarians couldn't retaliate in kind.3. Victims always got punished twice. My mother blamed me for losing caps and pumps, so there was always the double whammy.4. Kids who stayed to lunch were subject to the whims of the teacher on "dinner duty". One, an otherwise pleasant and popular man, always insisted on absolute silence in the dining hall. Any breaches were punished by double detention - being kept in for the whole of the lunch break AND after school, or a belt round the lug 'ole, or both. Rank discrimination, as kids who went home for lunch weren't subject to such things. And, there was absolutely no point in the total silence rule. When I saw that particular man on dinner duty, I simply walked out and went without lunch. On some days the food was so unpalatable that it was the best option anyway.5. Girls had even more rules. One was that navy blue knickers were de rigeur. My sister says that female prefects were on knicker checking duty in the girls' cloakrooms.Was Pudsey Grammar the only basket case at this period (1950s), or was it endemic in the district?
The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, moves on; nor all thy Piety nor all thy Wit can call it back to cancel half a Line, nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.

Chrism
Posts: 1828
Joined: Sun 20 Jan, 2008 8:26 am

Post by Chrism »

When I was 15 my dad had a made to measure suit made for me. It was all done to MY specifications. Prince of Wales check, 2 pleats on each side (front) of the trews, little ticket pocket at the front, inch and a half turn up etc etc etc. I was having fittings every week, it took the tailor about 4 weeks to do it (not wanting it rushed). When it arrived I paraded round the house in it and begged mum to let me wear it to school on monday, she did. I got to school at 8:45 and by 9:45 I was back home getting changed. The headmaster sent me home as I was "better dressed than most of the teachers".
Sit thissen dahn an' tell us abaht it.

Dobbie54
Posts: 50
Joined: Sat 17 Oct, 2009 4:45 am

Post by Dobbie54 »

ChrisM was that at Gottsy???One school rule I remember was anyone caught watching a fight was given twice as many canings as the ones knocking 7 bells out of one another.The shops or the golf course were favourite venues.
Bramley born and bred

Chrism
Posts: 1828
Joined: Sun 20 Jan, 2008 8:26 am

Post by Chrism »

Yeah it was... ... we used to ruck on the golf course too.
Sit thissen dahn an' tell us abaht it.

Trojan
Posts: 1990
Joined: Sat 22 Dec, 2007 3:54 pm

Post by Trojan »

Uno Hoo wrote: 2. School caps had TO BE WORN AT ALL TIMES OUTSIDE SCHOOL. I broke this rule every day by not wearing mine in bed or in the bath.Again, caps got stolen, and, again, it was the victim who got punished. On the school bus, any boy daft enough to obey the school rule ran the risk of an oik from Primrose Hill Secondary Modern pulling it off his head and having it thrown out of the bus window. Primrose Hill oiks didn't have to wear uniform, so we superior grammarians couldn't retaliate in kind.Was Pudsey Grammar the only basket case at this period (1950s), or was it endemic in the district? The girls at Pudsey grammar were certainly required to wear an unusual form of headgear. It definitely couldn't described as a beret. It was a very odd thing indeed - I used to travel home with the Gildersome contingent.My wife (a clever girl) attended Batley Girls Grammar - she lived in Ossett and it was two buses - but she had to wear her beret all the way, if caught beret-less changing buses in Dewsbury bus station she would have been in bother. Another assinine rule they had at Batley Girls was that they were forbidden from eating ice creams whilst in school uniform!
Industria Omnia Vincit

Uno Hoo
Posts: 755
Joined: Fri 20 Jun, 2008 2:04 pm

Post by Uno Hoo »

Trojan wrote:The girls at Pudsey grammar were certainly required to wear an unusual form of headgear. It definitely couldn't described as a beret. It was a very odd thing indeed - I used to travel home with the Gildersome contingent.My wife (a clever girl) attended Batley Girls Grammar - she lived in Ossett and it was two buses - but she had to wear her beret all the way, if caught beret-less changing buses in Dewsbury bus station she would have been in bother. Another assinine rule they had at Batley Girls was that they were forbidden from eating ice creams whilst in school uniform! I'd forgotten about the girl's hats. Only obtainable from Rawcliffes (I think), so that meant a trip into Leeds to replace them, unless the school kept a stock. Miss Milner was school secretary at PGS and I'm pretty certain she sold replacement caps for boys. The unusual design of the girls' hats probably meant a premium price - my mother grumbled constantly about the costs of school kit. Girls had to wear different uniforms as well, dresses in summer, gymslips in winter.Your wife's head must have been in touch with our headmaster, as we weren't supposed to eat in the street in uniform, either.    
The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, moves on; nor all thy Piety nor all thy Wit can call it back to cancel half a Line, nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.

Crazy Jane
Posts: 331
Joined: Fri 08 Feb, 2008 11:01 am

Post by Crazy Jane »

Cira 1982 at Smeaton, blue denim skirts were permitted because blue was a school colour, until they got fashionable, and then they were unpermitted. So if your mum had spent her budget for your clothes on them, well tough, she had to go out and buy you something else that wasn't unpermitted.To say that i don't recall the boys being allowed to wear jeans, i don't recall either that it was particularly well enforced, at least one lad i can think of was ribbed by the teacher not for wearing jeans but because he practically had no crotch in them!That was Smeaton for you i guess O_o
Evil and ambition scatter in the the darkness, leaving behind dubious rumors to fly in public. To the next world, I commit thee.

Lilysmum
Posts: 531
Joined: Fri 28 Mar, 2008 12:31 pm

Post by Lilysmum »

My school skirt was a daily bone of contention with the senior mistress. Our grey pleated skirts were supposed to be knee length which mine was when I started aged 11,however as I'd grown to 5ft10' by the time I was 13 it was perfect! very short indeed and despite my mum buying me a new one I carried on wearing the "pelmet" as my dad called it.It saved having to turn the waistband over several times and being told to turn it down again. I couldn't see why we couldn't wear short skirts but had to wear navy blue knickers for P.E.

stevief
Posts: 701
Joined: Wed 04 Apr, 2007 4:26 pm

Post by stevief »

I was at Sacred Heart junior school on Argie Avenue,Burley between '62 & '66.We had a winter and summer school uniform,which seemed slightly OTT for some parents with limited income.At St.Benedicts secondary,by the time I was in my final year the uniform code had been relaxed and year 5 could wear jeans on Friday only,if memory serves.

User avatar
Steve Jones
Posts: 1516
Joined: Fri 18 Jan, 2008 2:41 pm
Location: Wakefield

Post by Steve Jones »

I know it wasn't in leeds, but whilst at grammar school in blackpool in the 1970's, I was given 200 lines for accidently bouncing my spoon off a school blancmange at dinner!I dropped my spoon on it ,to show a mate how rubbery and horrible they were (also a sort of luminous pink colour as well). the spoon bounced off and hit a prefect who promptly told me to write out 200 times "I must not bounce my spoon off a school blancmange"!
Steve JonesI don't know everything, I just like to give that impression!

Post Reply