Primary School in the seventies (or sixties)

[YellowCardiganNavyJoggers]

If you were at primary school in the seventies what are things that today's children would probably be shocked at.

Here's a few of mine.

Teacher kept 'words on paper scraps' in a tobacco tin. You got called out and you had to read the words of the paper. I still remember the green flat tobacco tin.

When someone wet themselves (puddle on floor) and nobody would own up to it the teacher would take each child into the toilet and pretty much feel between their legs to see if they were wet. Can you imagine them being allowed to do that now.

Teacher was bad tempered and strict. Kids were pretty well behaved and quiet. I was quite scared of my teacher and jealous of the other Primary 1 kids who seemed to have nicer, younger teachers.

School 'jotters' - you know the books you got to write in.

Your dad covering things with old wallpaper. I can't remember what it was exactly - was it books or folders? Or was this high school and I am getting mixed up

The highlight of my day was the milk crate. Oh my god I used to get quite excited to get a whole bottle of milk (and straw) to myself. I was always hungry. Typical seventies child living in cold council house with basic and scarce diet. That bottle of milk was looked forward to each day so much. To this day I still love drinking milk and always have pints and pints of it in the fridge.

Desks with the little pull out drawer underneath. We also sometimes had drawers in a sort of unit with each persons name on a drawer.

Coat hooks outside the classroom with your name beside it and a picture on it. Do they still do this?

Play area in the corner of the room with little cooker etc. I used to love to play on it as we didn't have many toys at home.

Going up to the teachers desk to use 'the big sharpener' on the teachers desk. It was sort of attached to the desk and you stuck your pencil in and turned a handle.

If you were at primary in the seventies (or sixties) what do you remember?

Being a member of the Bookworm Club

Being rapped on the knuckles with a ruler in front of the class! Remember those paper things we used to make ‘pick a colour’ then pick a number and they’d be a word underneath? Well mine had a swear word because my grandad used to swear a lot and i didn’t know it was swearing ffs!
I also remember a teacher sending a kid out of class for farting lol.

The Lochgelly Tawse was quite famous, all were made by one family, the Dicks, in Lochgelly. They owned a blacksmith and saddlemaker in town. It was essentially a strip of leather, about 12 inches long with a 3 inch slit to make two tails at one end which was the end that struck the hand. I went to school with one of the Dick children.

I remember the TV on a stand, we watched "How We Used To Live" on it. If you were very lucky you got to turn the handle on the Banda machine to make copies. And, i remember one of my teachers betting us she could put ice cream in the oven and it wouldn't melt. She wheeled in the Baby Belling mini oven and made us Baked Alaska!

I also remember, what seemed like a weekly occurrence, getting lined up outside the TV room where the nurses were set up to give us our Vaccinations. I remember being told one of them I would get a spoonful of sugar and was worried as I didn't fancy that. I was quite delighted when I was actually given a single smarty! I guess that would have been the polio drops. I also remember getting the German Measles vaccination and being most aggrieved that the boys didn't have to get it!

70’s child. Black boards and the smell of chalk, having a big TV rolled into the class room for educational programmes. Aged 8 got a ruler across the knuckles for talking and boys getting slippered!

In yr 2 of juniors (so we were around 7), a group of 5 of us were trusted to walk 15 minutes from school to the music centre for violin lessons. We went right after lunch, and always stopped off at the adventure playground on the way. This was mid 70s…

Oh, I loved the SRA reading cards! I used to do them voluntarily during 'colouring in' time because I didn't like colouring in. I got way ahead of everyone else in the class, I'd nearly finished them by the time I left infant school.

60s child I used to hate the milk , the delivery was always stacked up just in side the school gates and the boys smelly toilets were there then when the crate was put into the class room it was always put by the radiator😵😝. I was in a Catholic school and one of the strict teachers used to collect a halfpenny every Friday for the Starving children in Africa, she would then give everyone a quarter of a small Apple from her garden, but if you didn't bring in the money you wouldn't get any. 🙄 also I was given the job of watering her plants on the window sills, she caught me running across the desks to do the other side of the class , so I could go out to play with my friends.

Most teachers were really mean and grumpy. One male teacher used to rip up work if he thought it wasn't good enough. We were 9 at the time! Imagine the uproar today 😁. Teachers in general were just cunty. They'd take out their bad moods on us.

Swimming - we walked to external baths once a week, and the teacher was so nasty, she'd literally boot us in if we were scared of jumping in. To this day I can't swim because of her.

Lunchtime - boys and girls alike challenged each other to fights. Really vicious ones!

Breakdancing - not sure if this was UK-wide but in my London school, the boys would always put on breakdance shows at playtime. Spinning on their heads and all sorts.

Dogs - local racist little girl who never went to school (and wasn't part of ours) used to set her huge Alsatian into the playground before school and at playtimes. Teachers did absolutely nothing about it.

I was milk monitor. I had to make sure all the bottles went back in the crate. I would also drink any leftover milk. I loved being milk monitor.

We were taught by nuns. IYKYK.

We were also expected to clear our plates. My memories of the food are of wet cabbage and gristle. We did get bright pink custard once a term though.

The corridors smelt of cabbage and vomit, and there was often sawdust in little heaps to soak up whatever had come out of some unfortunate child.

I've just remembered the dunce. Anyone unfortunate enough to earn that name from the teacher had to go and stand in the corner with their back to everyone.

We had 45 of us in our primary class as well. One year, I was one of seven girls with the same first name. That must have been a confusing year for the teacher.

Fletchers Maths. They were orange I'm sure.
I was great at Maths and could zoom through those questions. You put your answer in a box it's all coming back to me.

I have such fond memories of primary school 1970's Essex. Good friends. Good teachers. Really happy days.

X

Oh yes, scraping across your scalp! I do remember being given a couple of smarties if you hurt yourself. I can still remember 8yr oldies desperately trying to get a splinter so I could have some

Ah, Miss Creamer - I remember her as if it was yesterday (in the 1960’s) who just frightened the life out of me (for reasons long forgotten - stern & disciplined, probs). And the warm milk - such a good source of nutrients sadly lacking at home: both parents worked & cheese on toast most nights just didn’t do it for me & my 3 siblings…A foreign country😌.

70s child here . I’m left handed but that wasn’t allowed , it was something sinister , I was forced to write with my right hand when I was first learning . Still pretty ambidextrous and can only use right handed scissors as that’s all that was available .

I cannot drink milk to this day apart from in tea or coffee after being forced to drink a bottle of warm curdled milk every day : gross .

on school trips they just asked which parents were free that day , and no first aider. I remember a child cutting her head open badly on a stone step , just given a hankie to put on it and someone’s mum looked after them for the many hours til we went home on the coach .

Being forced to eat every single mouthful of school dinners by terrifying dinner ladies , including the gristle . I still leave something small on my plate every meal as a rebellion against it .

yesterday (in the 1960’s) who just frightened the life out of me (for reasons long forgotten - stern & disciplined, probs). And the warm milk - such a good source of nutrients sadly lacking at home: both parents worked & cheese on toast most nights just didn’t do it for me & my 3 siblings…Another country😌.

Ah, I remember it as if yesterday (in the 1960’s) & Miss Creamer who just frightened the life out of me (for reasons long forgotten - stern & disciplined, probs). And the warm milk - such a good source of nutrients sadly lacking at home: both parents worked & cheese on toast most nights just didn’t do it for me & my 3 siblings…Another country😌.

Your post cracked me up. Ashtrays! Yes I remember making a clay ashtray.
Imagine that today. Right year 3 today we are making ashtrays.
😂😂
Fun times. Xx

Both of these in the sixties ! Also we had a tuck shop at break that only sold individual cadburys chocolate finger biscuits . We hardly ever had a penny for the tuck shop and I still.love those biscuits ! Also the big red lorry went up the hill filled with.pots and pans . Jip the dog and henny penny and chicken.licken.books . When the milk froze into a milk lolly and pushed the foil off the top it was wonderful. The teacher was so strict we were terrified of her

I hated the milk as it was always lukewarm 🤮. I loved being dinner monitor on my table for lunch though as we got to serve up for others and clear plates away.

I was left handed and when ready for my pen licence my lovely teacher bought me a left handed fountain pen.

Very fond memories of primary school and still friends with people I went to school with..

Funny how different teachers were as mine bought me a left handed ink pen.

1981 for me.

PE in your vest and knickers.
Cigarette boxes (albeit covered) containing key words.
Behaviour management techniques that border on abuse.

What about in secondary? Stripping naked to run through the shower block after PE whilst being watched by your PE teacher?!!!

Mid 70s here. We had middle schools then so we went to the equivalent of year 4 then moved up. Both the primary and middle school were built with the three tier system in mind so were only a few years old. My mum picked the primary school as it had rabbits in a hutch and budgies in a big aviary. As good a reason as any

Mid seventies for me. Peter and Jane ladybird books and we had cartons of milk that were a triangle shape.

I was mad about gymnastics in juniors, so much so I would get there for 8am - by bus and unaccompanied. We did gym in the main hall where me and a couple of others would drag all the mats out so we could practice flic flacs. A teacher would turn up around 8.50am and tell us to put the mats back ready for school assembly. I permanently had a bruise on my forehead from doing head springs. The teacher asked my mum if she was bothered by the bruise and my mum said no, she's enjoying it. I can't imagine any of this happening now but I loved every minute.

Yes! Spellings in a tobacco tin. I hated the milk. It was lined up before break under the old big radiators so was warm and I’m sure it was lumpy! Still can’t drink milk. We had flip lid desks and the reception/yr 1 teacher used to throw a black board rubber at us and hit us with a ruler. Eventually getting the Berlin (?) one when your writing was good enough.
High school we had to do PE in Big green knickers and a polo shirt! They made us run past all the boys 🤦‍♀️ The teacher stood at the showers ensuring we all went in naked and left our towel at the showers entrance!!!

60's child here. Bottles of milk stored on top of the radiator in winter to defrost the tops. Being Milk monitor and getting an extra Rob Roy biscuit for your trouble. Walking to school alone in the pitch black with your fluorescent arm bands on as they decided to experiment with daylight saving. Getting soaked running across the playground to the stinking concrete toilet block. Giving your dinner money to the teacher who put it in a little tin box in his/her drawer. But most of all the school dinners!