Smacking at school 80s

[Ilostit]

Leading on from another thread about the 90s. I was prob about 6-7 so 1985-1987 ish and I was smacked by my headteacher. It only happened once. I don’t remember why (I was a very well behaved child but came from a troubled house and I may have played up if things were bad at home).

I was called into the office called a naughty girl and smacked.

I hate that it’s one of my memories from childhood. My parents never physically abused me. That Headteacher is the only person to have ever hit me.

Was anyone else hit at school in the 80s?

I was on the receiving end of the cane twice in secondary school Once in 85 for sticking my tongue out at the head (behind his back) and again in 86 for internal truancy (staying in the —disgusting— toilets rather than going to my lesson. The first time I remember my form tutor being so shocked at seeing my name in the punishment book - I was such a swot

My reception teacher used to smack kids on the ankle in story time. 1981/2 ish

And in year 6 1987/88 had a teacher who hit with the ruler even though it was banned. She was a racist cunt too and picked on anyone with darker skin than her (she wasn't white). Absolute cunt.

Started school, outer London, 1977.

No physical punishment. It wasn't allowed.

My older brother came home one day with huge welts and white grooves across his palms where he'd been thrashed repeatedly with what I think must have been a riding crop or whip. He would have been 14.

I started in 1987 and was never hit. My mum would have been outraged (despite the fact that she smacked me! )

My brother got caned for not doing his homework known as six of the best and resulted in severe bruising. My Dad who was rather physically imposing confronted the rather small male teacher - pinned him up against the wall and challenged him to pick on him to pick on an adult, no surprise that he wasn’t up for that!

I was at school 60s-70s and the ruler and cane were in regular use, also things being thrown which was usually the blackboard rubber or a book, whatever came to hand. One teacher thought it fun to hit boys over the head with a flexible ruler, which then shaped itself into the curve of the boy's head. I don't recall being hit myself, but do remember the headmistress dragging me through the school by my arm and shouting 'I'm glad you're leaving!' and me shouting back 'So am I!'.

At secondary school the head's office overlooked the playground and had a huge window. If anyone was getting the cane, it was done at playtime so everyone could see. Public humiliation. That seems weird to think back on.

Not me personally, but I remember my reception teacher smacking 'naughty' children - would have been about 1981/82. I can't remember it happening after that. It feels really shocking looking back at it.

We were hot at school in the 1960's but my son was never smacked at school in the 80;s it was considered unacceptable.

@Sirzy

You must have been one of the last unfortunate few, I started in 88 and know it was banned in English state schools just before that (87?)

Maybe I was younger I left that school in Year 4 but I do remember it was around year 2 so I would be 6-7

I remember a few boys getting slapped legs. No girls though. My older brother had the slipper and - unbelievably - was bundled out of a (ground floor) window by his irate teacher!
Born 1971.

I remember my friend's brother being caned at secondary school this must have been around 1980. His 'crime' was to copy a poem out of a book instead of writing one for homework.

I started primary in the late 1960s. There were whole groups of children caned everyday and then delivered back to the classroom at the end of each afternoon - from age 5 upwards. The head had a bamboo switch.

I started primary school in 1986 and don't remember any smacking or physical punishment. In fact, I didn't even think it was legal and it would have been shocking had it happened.

I went to the same secondary school my dad went to. My first parents evening in year 7, we sat down with my math’s teacher and my dad had a face like thunder the whole time, which was weird because the teacher had nothing bad to say about me. On the way home my dad told me “I hate that bloke”. Turns out back when my dad was there in the 80’s, the same teacher was an RE teacher. My dad was chatting in the lesson, and the teacher came up behind him with two enormous church Bibles and smashed my dad’s head between them

Looks like 1986 it was banned. So that would fit in with my timings of when I was hit. Likely to be 1986 just before it was banned. From 1982 your parents could stop it but not banned until 1986. I might ask my mum about it today!

news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/25/newsid_2516000/2516621.stm

@Fuckmyliferightnow

I was smacked at the age of five, it is my very first memory of school. The same teacher was smacking 10 years later when I did work experience in the school, it would have been 1992. The child was 4 years old, he was crying because he struggled to write the letter e.

This one really got to my. My DS is 5 and is struggling with his writing. I shouted at him today for not listening or concentrating. I feel awful about that. But smacking a kid for struggling is just heartbreaking.

@Ringmaster27

I went to the same secondary school my dad went to. My first parents evening in year 7, we sat down with my math’s teacher and my dad had a face like thunder the whole time, which was weird because the teacher had nothing bad to say about me. On the way home my dad told me “I hate that bloke”. Turns out back when my dad was there in the 80’s, the same teacher was an RE teacher. My dad was chatting in the lesson, and the teacher came up behind him with two enormous church Bibles and smashed my dad’s head between them

Fucking hell!

I was never hit at school or at home. My DF used to always say that if anyone touched me to tell him.

The boys were caned though. Its barbaric.

Secondary school was a Convent - although we didn't get caned the HT was fond of a slap to two across the face if you dared to let down the school.

I remember me and another girl being made to stand at the front of the class, hold our hand out and being smacked (I think by a ruler) for bullying. I was a really quiet, well behaved child so why the teacher was convinced I'd been bullying someone, I never knew. This must have been 82-83ish.

These stories are awful! I know kids used to get smacked at school but this is literally teachers attacking and beating up kids. Smashing a little boy's head between two hard cover books? Chinese burns? Sick bastards, I hope at least one parent kicked the shit out of them 💔

Yes, it’s one reason I don’t really like the reminiscing about the good old days when teachers just taught whatever they liked and did whatever they felt like doing …

I’ve just remembered our Y4 teacher. We had old fashioned wooden desks with a lid. A friend had her lid up when she shouldn’t have (slow to close it or taking out a book/pen and not listening to the teacher. I can’t remember.) He stormed over and smacked the lid with a metre ruler. Slamming it on her fingers.

There was real cruelty in some schools in the 80s. I went to quite a lot of different primary schools, and things I either experienced or witnessed include:

Kids lined up and hit in front of the entire school, in the playground at the end of playtime when everyone was in class lines

Kids (including one of my siblings) called out and absolutely leathered in front of the whole school at assembly

Kids slammed into walls, slapped around the face/head, dragged across classrooms by the hair (that one was me, and it happened twice)

Boys made to bend over and then booted up the arse until they went flying (this was a particular male teacher who found it hilarious)

A 5yo who clearly had significant SEN being made to read aloud in front of the class and getting slapped for each word he got wrong (all of them, he couldn't read)

One of my brothers was made to stand in a bin - complete with rotten apple cores and crisp bags etc - on top of a table, in the school hall for an entire afternoon. The headteacher said it was "because you are rubbish. You are RUBBISH."

All between 1980 and 1988.

@garlictwist

I started primary school in 1986 and don't remember any smacking or physical punishment. In fact, I didn't even think it was legal and it would have been shocking had it happened.

It was illegal in state schools in 1987. I started school in 1985, and it was still going on.

I wasnt personally smacked in the 80s but others were. However when I was about 8 years old in the late 70s a teacher dragged me across the classroom floor by my hair and then slapped me on the face. I had spilled some paint and laughed when the teacher initially told me off.