School Punishment Book87

Looking at those extracts, it seems most canings were for “disobedience” (simple, deliberate, wilful, or continual) and “rudeness”. In 1925/6 these attracted 1 stroke but, in 1965, 4 strokes seem almost the more common for “rudeness” – quite an increase. That was also the penalty for “Truancy, telling lies & forging letters as from parents” – which I think was very lenient. It seems a little strange that Claudia Bailey received four strokes in June for “Bad behaviour in Miss Reynolds lesson” but only two strokes in November for “Rudeness to Miss Reynolds” when, nine days prior, Linda Cockerill received four strokes for rudeness – as did two other girls in September. I wonder why Bailey was treated leniently on that occasion.