Did anyone have to spend detention sessions in the gym or on a cross country run ?
Mention has been made previously of mad staring-eyed, amateur trombone playing amateur trombone player, Bill Davey, Head of P.E. at William Penn School.
One Monday afternoon Mad Bill discovered that one of the cricket balls from his prized collection was missing. Four classes had benefited from Games lessons that day, and so he summoned them all to the gymnasium on Tuesday after school.
“You ain’t leaving until I find the boy who stole the cricket ball,” he declared. “If I ain’t found him before five o’clock when I shall disperse (he meant dismiss) yer, you’ll come back every day until I do find him.”
To have one hundred and twenty boys in detention was quite an event. Captain Harris (see the thread entitled The Captain) even turned up to the first one to survey the talent. What became known as the Mad Bill Davey Social Club met again on the Wednesday afternoon and also on the Thursday when the host announced that he had found the culprit and was therefore able to disperse yer.
The truth was this. No one had admitted to the theft. Bill Davey was henpecked and had an obligation to his shrew of a wife to do the shopping after school every Thursday.
Myself and 4 other lads cheated on cross country runs regularly and spent much of the time in the woods smoking, then slipping into the line of lads returning to the school.
Eventually we were caught out.
The PE teacher gave us six each with a heavy strap in the changing rooms, our shorts, worn without underwear, were off ready for showering.
We then had to do the cross country run that same day as a detention, this time with a poor prefect to ensure that we did do it.
When we returned to the school, in the changing rooms we got another six each with the strap, again shorts off.
Back in the 60s my school had gym detentions, meaning an hour after school spent working out in the gym.
These sessions were run by 6th form prefects, some were OK, but some enjoyed the power. The rules were simple, turn up, get changed and into the gym, all by 5 mins after the end of school bell. Our normal pe kit included vests and shoes, nearly all the prefects insisted that you strip down to the waist and take your shoes and socks off – power again.
Nearly always you started with fast circuits of the gym interlaced with press ups, squats, star jumps etc, anything to make you sweat. We always thought the point of making you go shirtless was to check if your back and chest were soaked in sweat, if we werent all dripping with sweat 10 mins into the session one prefect thought he had failed and would threaten you with taking your shorts off if you didnt work harder !
At the end of the detention we all had to line up, and anyone due a caning for things like 3 detentions, was made to step forward and received their punishment. Once one of the prefects noticed two lads wearing pants under shorts and reported them.
Once three of us took a shortcut during cross country, and got caught.
Our punishment was the dap on our backsides, plus repeating the run after school the next (very cold winters) night, minus our rugby shirts, in just shorts and plimsolls.
We used to have PE detentions outdoors, usually running laps of the rugby pitch. For some reason we had to report to the gym in full PE kit, but once your name was called you had to take off your vest and run in only shorts (no underwear) and training shoes. In the summer it wasn’t all that bad but more often it was cold or even raining. Whichever boy finished last had to do an extra lap on his own or sometimes push ups.
On rare occasions, the weather was so bad that detention was in the gym and that meant we had to be barefoot as well as bare-chested.
I remember PE detentions when I was at secondary school in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It was harsher than ordinary PE with many more repetitions of each exercise and it exhausted all who were compelled to do it. It was mainly, but not exclusively, used to punish boys in the lower forms and lasted for one hour after school.
The PE kit worn was the same as in regular PE lessons, which meant we were bare to the waist and wearing very short black gym shorts and plimsolls. No socks were allowed and it was forbidden to wear anything under your shorts.
Like others I was caught skipping cross country and smoking with 3 other mates, even though we were all 16 and just about to sit our o levels we were all caned off the gym master in his office wearing just thin nylon shorts and no underwear, we then had to head into the gym and do 30 minutes of the harsh pe circuit which involved press ups, star jumps, squat thrusts and painful sit ups on our burning stinging backsides.OUCH brings back painful memories
I did not enjoy PE at school. It catered poorly for those of different abilities and the less sporty. The so-called annual cross-country run was just around the school sports fields and nearby streets. The surface was hard and our `sandshoes` provided poor cushioning. There was no adequate progressive training. It was a great ordeal for many, myself included.
PE was never used as a punishment but occasionally extra exercises would be awarded to those deemed not to be trying. Failure to bring PE equipment was punished with a single welt-raising stroke of the cane – enough to help all boys remember.
After leaving school I got very fit from hiking/backpacking and then started at the gym and later started running. Cross country was the most fun. The rougher the better. We wore skimpy shorts and singlets – comfortable and practical if you are fit and running fast even in cold weather. Adequate underwear was essential on frosty days to avoid certain parts of the male anatomy getting frostbitten. Jackets, gloves and hats need at the start were quickly discarded once we were warmed up.
There was no embarrassment showing at lot of leg. When your body is trim and fit and working like a machine who cares what others think. In fact many women prefer their men that way.
Today obesity among the young is a great problem. Nothing should be done that might equate physical activity with punishment.
A local organisation has a program for youth at risk. I occasionally see them out running early in the morning. The group has changed from struggling to smooth running. The boys clearly enjoy the activity and greet you politely and warmly as they pass. They are having fun.
PE should never be used as punishment.
Failure to bring PE equipment was punished with a single welt-raising stroke of the cane – enough to help all boys remember.
At my school, we “only” got the slipper for forgetting our gym kit. What surprises me though is why you think girls never forgot their gym kit
We had PE detentions at my all boys grammar school (southern UK 1970s). There were two kinds: the prefects could take younger boys on a cross country during their lunch break. This was for breaking minor rules or for being cheeky to the prefects. You had to change into XC kit (vest, shorts, plimsolls) and then keep up with these usually fit 18yo prefects (and the unfit ones tended not to give lunchtime runs!). You ran for about 30m and returned very muddy and exhausted. Then came showers (always supervised closely by the prefects). There was rarely time to get any lunch unless one of your mates had put something by.
The other kind of PE detention was ordered by PE masters. One hour after school on a Friday. You wore just shorts for this and were put through a series of gruelling physical exercises. Sometimes it was just you. Other times there could be 12 to 20 boys present of all ages.
When I arrived at my school PE punishment had been banned. But the very fact that PE was compulsory and involved no choice exercises, runs and gym sessions, explained its unpopularity. The A stream gave it up thankfully in the third year , and the others in the fourth. After that there was just the game of escaping compulsory games which was an open competition and of which I have written elsewhere.
I agree PE should never be used as punishment. To a great extent the PE staff have themselves to blame for the lack of interest in in PE and games today. Unless you were good at a given activity many took pleasure in trying to make your life hell.
I have also noted that voluntary games, such as , for me swimming or hockey, were a different matter. Staff were ‘nicer; and you were helped not harassed.
Now to compare the two situations. We were taught hockey by the sister schools girls coach, an England professional. She pushed us very hard but we took it in a good spirit and performed well on the field. We liked her and the opinion seemed mutual. However talk to the girls who had to do hockey -like it our lump it – they were not happy bunnies. So choice and compulsion are vital issues, and using something for punishment will never help increase participation!!
I agree PE should never be used as punishment.
In fact, I’d go further, no school subject should be used as a punishment.
So choice and compulsion are vital issues, and using something for punishment will never help increase participation!!
Exactly my point regarding lines and punishment essays – they make ordinary lessons and school work into undeserved “punishments.” Why should I have to write an essay when I haven’t done anything wrong?
You are 100% right regarding essays lines detentions etc…..they all lead to the discouragement of schoolwork.Of the lot if given a detention I would plead for an essay because it didnt bore me rigid. If you want to light my blue touch paper bore me rigid!!!!!!!!!!
If you wanted in those days to make me smoke without cigarettes or matches just give me a few hundred lines, but don’t bet on the odds of you ever getting them! I was detention phobic.
My attitude was if you treat me right I’ll treat you right , but detention and lines was disrespect in my book and being a bit hyperactive that was the detonate button. Luckily not many wanted to pick a fight with me, and my behaviour in class was usually fine, so it wasn’t a problem, and academic targets posed no issues either.
But I do take your point.Just as some kids are unsuited for the cane , so some are equally unsuited for detention,or lines, but the abolitionists never look at that ! It is one way tunnel vision.
Although we agree about not using school activities as punishment the reverse can apply. Unpleasant activities can be used as rewards.
Whether something is intended or perceived as a punishment is very important. Sometimes arduous, unpleasant essential assignments are taken in a positive light.
I have sent boys to fetch essential water on barren mountain tops. They correctly took the assignment as a recognition of their ability and an indication of trust. Ditto when I asked a boy to help me empty an over full bucket of sewerage. I chose the strongest and most reliable lad for the task – for my own safety. He did not seem to mind at all. And many other similar cases.
My teacher mr scalin gave me 5 2 hour long detentions for talking but you get 3 warnings for talking and i told my friend what we were doing and bang 5 detentions. He made me do 1 hour of running and then 1 hour of press ups, sit ups all of the army drill. The next day 1st hour on the tracks then bombartment. He made me stand in a corner for 1 hour whilst throwing and booting balls at me. The next day he got me to do work with mr howarth the head of pe (compered to him mr scanlin is nice)he did 2 days of running. then on the last day mr howarth said “your going to come to my office every day after school for 2 hours to A. run killer laps round the track or b. copy out of abook and do lines.
PE detentions were commonplace at my school (all boys, 1980s) and took place for approximately one hour after school. These could be given for a variety of offences like forgetting your kit or messing around in a regular PE lesson and usually involved running around the playing fields. There could be several boys in detention at the same time, or sometimes only you. Detentions were never enjoyable, but my least favourite that I experienced was one occasion when I was the only boy there.
When we did normal outdoor running our kit was vest and shorts, socks and plimsolls, but sometimes boys in detention were made to run bare-chested it depended which teacher was in charge. On this occasion, the teacher who turned up in the changing room was a fairly scary old school type. Straight away he barked at me to stand up, then made me take my vest off and ordered me to do 20 press-ups all this before wed got anywhere near the playing fields. Then I had to start the run itself bare-chested, of course but when I was about halfway through the teacher ordered me to stop and do a series of sit-ups. After that my shoulders and back were caked in mud and grass, as were my shorts, which made the rest of the run even less comfortable. A final round of press-ups followed before I was allowed to return indoors and take a much-needed shower.
Occasionally if the weather was really bad (a thunderstorm, for instance!) then detention was in the gym and involved lots of press-ups and similar exercises.
Technically corporal punishment was still allowed when I was at the school, but it was extremely rare for it to take place by then. I never heard of anyone receiving corporal punishment as part of a PE detention if it did happen, I probably would have got it from the teacher I mentioned!
That detention took place when I was 13, but I had other detentions which werent all that different right through until I was 16, when PE ceased to be compulsory. I think that one stands out partly because I was the only boy doing the punishment. Also, up to then I hadnt experienced anything like it before and it came as quite a shock when I realised Id have to run bare-chested outdoors. Naively, I thought at first Id be allowed to put my vest back on after the initial round of press-ups in the changing room. The teacher quickly dispelled that hope though and next time I had detention I knew what to expect!
I suspect these kind of detentions tended to happen in boys only schools, from talking to my friends at co-ed schools Im not aware that they had to do anything similar. Does anyone here know differently?
We use to have a fairly long cross country run at School, around the football pitches twice, along to the Rugby and Hockey pitches and round them before dropping through a stream around a third rugby pitch, back through a wood and along the river to the school. I still don’t know how long it was, but it took nearly an hour to run.
We used to do cross country in October and November and as the whole school did it, by the third or fourth week it was pretty muddy!
As many of us did, we thought by missing a bit out we were being clever. We got caught hiding in the woods by the PE teacher, who was not impressed.
When the rest of the class had finished, he made us do the whole thing again, so we missed lunch, we had to go back after school and complete it again. We also had to go back and complete the run each lunchtime and after school for a fortnight!
As I wasn’t into sports, I had one football kit and boots, so after a few days, they were wet, dirty and starting to smell a bit.
I must admit, whilst he made it a hard lesson to learn, I was quite fit at the end of it!
After I read this post, I remember being in a maths class which overlooked the school football pitches one afternoon. Gazing out of the window I noticed a 4th year running around the cross country circuit by himself. The rest of the class were playing Rugby.
For some bizarre reason, I felt myself wondering wwhat he had done and how embarrassing it would be to do that and knowing how much he wanted too, he wouldn’t be allowed to walk. Following that, I can remember going back to the achool playing fields after school had finished and as it was dark, running around the course myself, putting myself through it as well! Has anyone else done this type of thing or am I just really strange??!!!
I was in 5th year so around 15 years old. I came back to school about an hour after it had finished, got changed into my football kit (shirt, shorts, socks and football boots) and went around the whole cross country circuit. I had to dodge some of the circuit as a couple of teachers were still at work, so didn’t want to be seen! I can remember pushing myself not to stop or walk (demonstrating that I wasn’t as fit as the lad who had been running earlier!!).
At my school a PE detention was given as a punishment if you misbehaved during the PE class. Misbehaviour was anything including larking about to not having your full PE kit. My one time PE Detention was for larking about in class with two friends our punishment was to stay behind and do laps around the rugby pitch then have sit-ups before we were taken into the gynaseum for another 10 laps and 50 star jumps. As we had already worn our PE kit during the day we had to have our PE detention in our underpants and vests. After the exercises we were taken into the PE masters office and given 6 whacks with the slipper
Ady’s tale reminded me of an experience when I was 16 and had just started in Sixth Form. We were taken away for a geography field trip and based at a boarding prep school (presumably during their half term). Our teacher pointed to the running track and said that boys who misbehaved at the school were required to do circuits in the early morning and joked that we would be subject to the same discipline.
Being interested in CP I was, of course, intrigued and so got up very early next morning (it wasnt difficult as there werent any curtains in the dorms) and went out via the changing rooms where I borrowed a very tight fitting pair of shorts (presumably belonging to a 13yo but I was quite a slim 16yo).
I did several circuits of the grass track, just wearing the shorts and a T-shirt. Sprints, jogs. But really pushed myself. All of a sudden I was aware of a man, probably in his 20s, who had appeared and was watching me. I was massively embarrassed and thought I was probably in trouble (as you do at that age). He said something like, “So, doing a bit of punishment PE are we?” I mumbled something but he said, “Well, I think you should do it properly.” He was very strict and I automatically obeyed. “Shirt off”. Then he had me doing really hard sprints and jogs, and press-ups an sit-ups too. Before long I was really puffing and sweating! But there was a real thrill. Then he said, “Right, off you go – and don’t forge to shower.” I went back to the changing room and did as he said.
To this day I have no idea who he was – presumably a resident master at the prep school who just intuitively knew what I was up to. But I enjoyed it – and I guess he did too.
At the boarding school I attended in the 60s we had a discipline regime known as PE detentions, which were extra PE in the gym, which usually comprised supervised and timed circuit training, then a cross country run, again with a time limit, and on return you showered (supervised closely) before automatically being caned. Caning was by the PE master on duty for the detention. This system of PE detentions was the main form of punishment within the school, which could be given straight away for serious matters, or after 2 demerits for lesser issues. On rare occasions the headmaster would award two or three detentions as a punishment for very serious matters, such as cheating or theft, and he would then witness or give the caning at the end himself. If there were two detentions awarded they would then usually be several days apart. For the PE detentions we were only allowed to wear PE shorts indoors, with no plimsoles, and then with the plimsoles for outdoor runs.
If you are physically fit hard workouts and cross country runs are greatly rewarding and fun. Injuries suffered do not hurt. The same would apply if caned soon after such exercise. Administering CP after hard exercise could be a deliberate kindness. The alternative is reprehensible and intolerable. If you are unfit and driven hard then caned you are likely to be put off sport and healthy exercise for life. No youthful indiscretions deserve whole-life punishment.
No PE detentions, But if you acted up in gym you could be made to do laps well class was still going on. When i was in elementary school (12/13 yrs old,1978/79) before corporal punishment was banned you were typically sent to the office from any class if the teacher felt it necessary. The boys had their own gym class separate from the girls usually and had a change room with showers. The rare time the gym teacher would take you in there to lecture or spank . Not sure if he was allowed too looking back now but it happened, myself once at age 12 with another boy.
