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The Cane.

S

Stitcher

Guest
Who remembers being caned for playing up? Or did your teacher use the slipper? If you were smacked did it ruin the rest of your life? did you turn into a criminal because you were smacked? I had the slipper loads of times and I had the cane a few times as well. The experts today say the cane wil make you worse, and losing at football affects school kids so they can only play frendlies now.
 
Stitcher. What the so called experts of today say is a load of rubbish, what is needed is some form of deterent that they know will hurt if they get it, we know from our days it made you think twice before you did something wrong. To many do gooders today.
 
John70. If I got the cane I knew I deserved it and it only did me good in the long run. I was never unemployed all through my working life, and I carried lots of valuable loads on the lorry. It never had an adverse effect on me or any of my schoolfriends. I dont know any of my old schoolmates who turned into a criminal because of it.
And the competetive games thing. They say losing destroys a childs confidence. By the time I left school I had lost loads of school soccer games. I had lost a few amature boxing bouts and I dont think we ever won a cricket match. By the time I left school I knew how to win and look pleased, and how to lose with a smile.
 
Respect I call it for other people and their property and the Laws.

Most of all respect for you Parents.

It I got into trouble away from home, I got into trouble when I got home.

I wonder where I went wrong, my lads have no respect for their Mother or myself. Like we had for ours.

By the way I had the Cane at School and at Home and did National Service
 
I've a feeling you're pushing an open door on this one Stitcher! I'd be very surprised if anyone comes on saying they turned into a villain after being caned or became a quivering wreck after losing a school football match. All of which makes you wonder why the current views have gained such a hold. My father was very strict with me and I may have resented it at the time but I appreciate it now and have never lost my respect for him because of it. He was a Royal Marine Commando and believed in strict discipline and respect for authority. Where did that all go? I don't believe it did me any harm and I apply it to my life today.

Bob
 
what a crazy world we,re living in,i know i speak and i mean no malice by it.
there is,nt enough correction for want of a better word,teachers and the like there hands are tied by the powers that be, and as been said the do gooder,s.
i was caned and had the slipper and the odd clip round the ear by the local bobby,
it never caused me to go bad ways..
regards dereklcg.
 
I am a teacher in schools and yes I know that teachers hands are tied . We had the cane and the slipper and the ruler at school and respected teachers because of it . You were good in class because you knew you would get it if didnt behave .
Sadly teachers have no power , all the have is detention .. so what ? We also are not allowed to say anything because a lot of parents object .. I have known parents come in and attack teachers too . I have never had to or wanted to punish a child in 30 years teaching but I have been lucky and command respect , My kids love me . Also I have found a lot of children today have money but no love at home . Parents have them but dont want them .. just give them a computer or some money to go disapear.
Last term whilst writing a report about one of my students I was told to rewrite it . All I had said was that he had been unreliable and lazy and sullen , he hadnt done much work for me this year and I was not happy with him . My head of year made me change the whole report and so in the end I gave in and wrote a standard 'Fair' and left it at that .
You are not allowed to hug a child if they need consoling and children arent allowed to go out and play out on their own , because of the few perverts thats are about ,its a very sad world .
When I was a kid growing up in Willis street nechells .. we played in the courtyard and all the neighbours kept and eye out for us ( We used to call our neighbors Auntie and Uncle). We used to go and play on the bomb pecks too , they were great fun .
Also kids are really badly loaded with stupid exams ( I have known many kids sick and ill with nervious complaints and Stress , teachers havent got time to tell them stories or teach them things that are not on the national curriculum .
I am lucky because I teach music and the violin .. and I firmly believe that above all I am trying to help the kids grow up in any way I can :) so yes I DO correct their manners and I DO teach them respect because sadly a lot of them are not taught that at home .
Phew finished my essay now :)
By for now BTW going to spain for hols :)
Jean
 
I entirely agree with all the subscribers to this thread but i was caned when at Cockshut Hill School circa 1940 to 1943, their had been trouble on the bus and H/Master Mr. Humphreys, gave every pupil who came by bus 1 stroke of the cane on each hand of the guilty and the innocent, the Head was a great believer in justice, of course I WAS COMPLETLY INNOCENT! and I have felt agrieved by that caneing all my life that is why i have Raped, Pillaged and Burned every year of my life!!!, and i try my best even at 79yrs (young) with no success!!
 
I never had the cane myself but my husband did in front of the whole school [Birchfield road]. There was a teacher nicknamed fatty Taylor who Pete most definately was not one of his favourites. He can't recall how many times he was caned. Didn't do him any harm though. Jean.
 
In the schools that I attended, the headmaster caned and teachers gave the slipper or the blackboard ruler.

I remember being told by teachers to 'Report to Mr Smiths office' at Farm Street Primary School - he would say 'What hand do you write with boy' and the cane your non writing hand - God did it sting.

Then in senior school (Harry Lucas Secondary Modern) I remember my best friend being caned on the stage in front of the whole school for talking in morning assembly. Mr Walker the headmaster was a lovely guy but demanded respect, and respect meant definately not talking in assembly. We knew the rules....

I can honestly say that although each of these head teachers hurt me (many times throughout my school years) in administering corporal punishment, I do not bare them any malice? They did what was believed necessary in order to make me a better person. I have since gone through life accepting responsibility for my own actions and willing to face the consequences when wrong. In that, I feel they achieved their aim in making me a better person?

Thank you Mr Smith, Thank you Mr Walker - 40 plus years over due but sincere meant.

keith
 
Yes, at Mary's school I had the cane a few times

I remember being in (William the Conk’s) Mr. George’s class having moments of daydreaming staring out the window to watch people on the street or see a bird touched by the sun winging its way across the sky. Mr George's voice jerking me back to life to what was a mental arithmetic session - not being sure of the answer I made a habit of putting up my hand take a stab at it just to let him know I was worth bothering about! Mr. George would say: 'Beautiful dreamer come unto me' Standing there in front of the class he would reach to the top of the cupboard bringing out the cane, 'Darlaston' if only you could do your arithmetic as well as you could swim?'

By the way I agree with you Jean . My father was an Officer in the Royal Air Force and he was strict like yours- He never ever hit me , a disaproving look was enough!

P.S. I liked Mr George he was always very fair and I visited him several times after I left school.
 
When I was at primary school, if you were naughty you had the slipper. I must have been a goody two shoes because I was never in trouble! To scared of the consequences and having to explain to my parents lay at the back of it I think. But did I fear my parents - no. I loved them and knew they loved me. My mom would slap me if I misbehaved but I never remember my dad laying a finger on me. I know his dad would take his belt off to my father. I think respect is the hardest thing in the world to teach to children. Hopefully mine will respect me and their dad as they grow older. My daughter already has little or no respect for her teachers at middle school. I suspect this is because their hands are tied when it comes to doling out discipline. Parents as usual have a big role to play in this, supporting teachers when they have to discipline your child. I wouldn't be very happy is my child was punished and was innocent but if they derserved it, they would also be punished at home.
 
That was it if you were punished at school and your parents found out you were punished at home too.
 
Let's face it,
The cane never did anyone harm, Sure it smarted,gave you the hot aches,youput your hand underneath your arm pit,but you did not get caned Again, for the same offence,you made sure of that,that is definetly what is lacking to-day,teacher's have their hands tied as regarding punishment Hence no respect,or personal pride
 
hi

Not sure on this one. But here goes.
Entering the Birmingham Secondary Schools
in 1955 I entered Alston Road. The Junior
School at Stechford Albert Road there was no
form of punishment.
During those 2 years the cane ruled supreme.
On some assemblies desks were put out in front
of the whole school and the victims were escorted to
these desks and bent over. The Headmaster would then launch into
a verbal torrent condeming this people to 6 of the best.
These guy's were appehended by the Police during the weekend
for Shoplifting. I presume to avoid it going any further the
head agreed to punish them rather than waste time in the courts.
Often the odd one would scream out but most of them took it
well. These were 15 year old Teds armed with flick knives.
These were the good old day's. What short memories we have.
Another crazy guy there taught us spelling. Each week we
had ten words to learn. Every monday he would ask us
to write down on a slip of paper the 10 words.
He then asked you to swop papers with your mate.
He then wrote each word on the board. Your mate checked
each one and either ticked them or put a cross against the
misspelt word. You took your paper up to him and checked it.
Up to a maximum of 6 stokes 3 on each hand he proceeded
to issue punishments. I never got one wrong but there were
many who failed the test. Some of these little guy's came
from terrible situations and they screamed in agony.
The hardies like one of the guy's tharshed on the stage took
it without a mumour. Ive seen canes broken on hands.
Then there was the who enjoyed caning the class. The slightest noise in his lesson meant we all copped it. As we all left the Room we got
it on the hand. Nobody took it out on the noise makers we
just new it was that day when we all got one.
I was never convinced by these measures often the teachers
never tried to find out the culprits and generally the tougher
ones were the trouble makers.
I moved to Handsworth Tech 2 years later and thankfully the
cane although used was for only really serious things.
I think passing the 13+ saved me from those terrible
beatings. It a bit like Capital Punishment this one if you got
the right guy then fair enough but there have been so many
mistakes. Not easy to offer alternatives I alway's felt deprivement of some form of priviledge, detention, lines,loss games etc which we had at Handsworth worked better than all that caning but thats my opinion.

Mike Jenks
 
What can I say Mike I was born in Handsworth grew up in Handsworth and went to St Mary's Anglican school.

Though I did get the cane by Mr George he was very fair, not only that I owe him a debt of gratitude for it was there I learned the beauty of words which has remained with me all my life. .
 
Derek which post are you speaking about my first or second to you?
 
Whilst at Dennis Rd School I think I was one of the few that received the cane from every member of the staff at one time or other. Except for the few teachers that didn't believe in its use.

I have to say that being on the receiving end of this form of punishment never did me any lasting harm. The only harm was at the moment of punishment, because boy did it sting.

The second thing is, I dont think those teachers that used the cane got any more respect or work from the pupils than did the ones who didn't use it.

So on the whole I don't think it was much of a deterrent. It certainly did not stop many repeat offenders, because I noted it always seemed to be the same few getting the cane.

Phil
 
I think it was the embarrassment of having to stand before the class to get the stick was worse than the punishment itself
 
hi there, yes i had the cane many times at wattville rd sec, and i once had 2 strokes on each hand on the stage after assembly in front of the whole school. I must admit that i totally deserved them and i am convinced without it i would definitely gone off the rails. Eventually i realised that it was beginning to hurt and there was an easy way to stop it. I then left there and went on to cockshut hill (new ball game here)and i went on to reach high levels of grade during the next few years which taught me to respect everyone and every culture i met. I now try to pass that knowledge onto my grandchildren, on reflection i was never out of line with my parents, yet when as soon as entered i school i struggled with authority. My sympathy is with todays teachers who rely on parents to get invovled with their offspring and correct them when out of line it must be exhausting.
 
I had the cane when I attended Burlington Street Junior School, mainly for talking in class or giggling, it did hurt but you just took your punishment and tried not to cry. I don't know why I misbehaved at school, I came from a loving family and was always in the top three when it came to exams, perhaps I wasn't stretched enough. I can remember my mother being called to see the head a number of times, but I have lived a blameless life since and never been in trouble with the police, neighbours or work colleagues. Perhaps I just matured.
 
I've been having a bit of a think about caning in school and have come to the conclusion that we may have been a little harsh on the deliverers of severe pain, namely the teacher, whosoever they may have been. Make no mistake about it six of the best, on a cold day, was a definite throw back from Henry the Eighths Tower of London and even one 'cut' made the victim dance around like Shirley Temple, on a good day. During the war and shortly thereafter a lot of younger teachers were off fighting, and some retirees were brought back to hold the fort until hostilities with the Germans ceased. They reintroduced discipline from times long past and even though I wouldn't go as far as to say they had taught Charles Dickens, a younger Mr Chips would certainly have been amongst their unfortunates. Tools of trade for their times was a blackboard, a lump of chalk, for writing and throwing, and a cosh. One teacher I had had a basket with an assortment of canes in it and in a progressive democratic fashion, which seemed to amuse him no end, we could chose any cane we liked. Thin, thick, medium and one that looked real good was a bit of a trap because it had a split in it which livened you up no end if you were foolish enough to choose it. It’s strange though I look back on all my teachers with respect, even affection, and have to admit everyone in my class could read and write when they left school at fourteen and I can still quote my tables, at eighty years of age, and so can all my kids because I taught them. Lets not be too hard on those trying to keep us kids out of the dangerous bomb craters and remember with friendship those of our mates we sat with our hands on the pipes supporting each other as the pain in our collective hands slowly diminished into nothingness other than bruised pride because we'd been caught. out. Regards to all, David.
 
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