Corporal punishment at school/The Black Book

[stutterdog]

Spackler wrote: Never had a book at my primary but there were certainly pointless punishments. Our vicious old lady teacher meted out smackings at the front of class and assembly. Can remember all the red hand marks across our backsides. I got it several times and cant remember ever doing anything wrong. Clearly she got a great deal of enjoyment out of it in some way. At the end of this thread I did ask if anyone knew what happened to the Black books.I thought there might be someone who had some idea? Perhaps they were all destroyed as they contained definite proof that violence was dished out and the Leeds Eucation Dept. could have been sued if the contents had been allowed to come out in the open! I must admit that there were lot's of incidences of unrecorded violence by most teachers at my school.It would hang over you like a dark cloud in some classes who's teachers were prone to lashing out at any pupil who did the slightest misdemeanor.

[chemimike]

Although i am interested in the Leeds area, i do not originate there, but from Sussex. I cannot speak for Leeds, but about 15 years ago I attended a reunion at my old school in Chichester and some of the punishment books were there from the school archives. Many people reminisced over them

[Chrism]

I expressed my sentiments about the head at our school (Ben Gotts High) in another thread. But here is the jist of it. He was a nasty wicked man (Harry Eastgate) who would deal out the cane almost daily. If you got six of the best it was 2 on your backside and 2 on each hand. The one's on your backside were dealt out like this. You had to bend over a chair and he'd walk back to his office door, it must have been at least 10 paces, and then he'd run and jump just before whacking you. He also had a strap which was basically a barbers strop, this was split into 3. If you got the strap you had to sit on a chair with your hand over your thigh. This was if you moved your hand you still got it on your thigh. You only got 1 of these on each hand as they left a very nasty mark and I think 2 might have drawn blood.A lot of the other teachers in school dished out the cane and the slipper. The slipper was mainly from the gym teachers. Quite a few teachers refused to cane anyone.In most classrooms after regisration and before assembly (usually for about 20 minutes) one child was put at the front of class and anyone who messed about or chatted had their name put on the board and if you got 5 marks you were caned.Also at this time (early 70's) a lot of football matches were being played midweek and boys were knocking off to go to the match. The head announced that any boy or girl attending Elland Road instead of school would receive 1 stroke of the cane for each goal scored. Boys attending the match were dearly hoping for a 1-0 win.I too would like to see some of these black books but I suspect they were burnt or shredded, too much hard evidence of out out child abuse if you ask me.    

[chameleon]

There is a worrying trait emerging here from the past isn't there?Whilst we can all talk about the experiences, we must remember not to actually name names. Doing so could lead to some very unpleasant consequences for the poster at least. I'm sure Admin will be quick to endorse this and act to avoid trouble. Unlikely it may be but, you don't know who might be looking at the thread.

[Brandy]

We used to get it at Shakespeare middle school.Infact shaky was one of the last schools in Leeds to abolish the cane. I once also witnessed a kid get a full blown crack in the head from a teacher at cross green,can you imagine that happening now in this day and age??

[Chrism]

chameleon wrote: There is a worrying trait emerging here from the past isn't there?Whilst we can all talk about the experiences, we must remember not to actually name names. Doing so could lead to some very unpleasant consequences for the poster at least. I'm sure Admin will be quick to endorse this and act to avoid trouble. Unlikely it may be but, you don't know who might be looking at the thread. The man I named is dead.

[chameleon]

Chrism wrote: chameleon wrote: There is a worrying trait emerging here from the past isn't there?Whilst we can all talk about the experiences, we must remember not to actually name names. Doing so could lead to some very unpleasant consequences for the poster at least. I'm sure Admin will be quick to endorse this and act to avoid trouble. Unlikely it may be but, you don't know who might be looking at the thread. The man I named is dead. Fair point Chris in this case, but in general I think you would agree -we've seen problems simply between individuals over such things here - my mentioning was intended as a simple 'health awareness' point for all as you will appreciate I'm sure and reitterates Admin's stance from the past    

[tilly]

It might have been harsh at that time but i dont ever remember any youths kicking and beating an old person.Or going about in gangs looking for trouble.I dont remember youths with knifes or anyone stomping on someones head.If two men had a fight i dont remember when one went down the other putting the boot in i could be wrong but this is how i saw it when i was kid it might have taken place but i never saw or heard of it. If it did take place it would have been the exception rather than the rule.To say that the cane caused children to be brutal in later life to me is a load of rubbish or that to smack a child will damage it for the rest of its life in my mind is rubbish.I have had both and have never been in trouble all my life in fact it has made me the person i am today.Would i have the same childhood again you bet i would.

[Cardiarms]

It happened you didn't have 24 hour news to tell you about it. Nothing to do with cane, slippers and little black books.

[weenie]

When i attend middle school which was in the 80's we had a black book. If we had done anything wrong we would be told to go get this book, our names would go in it and the reason why, then if your name was in the book 3 times in any one week, which believe you me mine was, although it was for silly petty things also, we got Penalty tickets, 3 penalty tickets in one term and you was suspended. also had the chalk board rubber thrown at us too for having penalty tickets. The next stage was your parents brought in and you was excluded from all lessons and had to stand outside the headmasters office.