Hello john_smage,

Miss Swindlehurst sounds a very pleasant and well motivated lady, with all those chances for pupils to escape a quite probably well deserved slippering.  I have huge respect for, and some very happy memories of, all the lady the lady teachers who taught me during my time in what is now called primary school.  Nonetheless with all of them if you were out in front of the class awaiting corporal punishment your chance of escaping that fate by toss of the coin or any other means was zero.

And if there was a queue of you, which was not uncommon, especially with Miss B, a serial leg smacker, you had ample opportunity to reflect on what was to come.  Unless you were at or very near the front of the queue of course.  In that case things happened very fast.  In my own first and happily only time in one of Miss B’s queues I was in second position.  The girl in front of me was dealt with so fast that almost before I’d registered that ‘oh dear, this is going to hurt’ I was pinned under Miss B’s arm and after a brief intermission while Miss B elevated the leg of my short trousers to her satisfaction it was doing!

I look forward to hearing about Miss Radcliffe when you have the opportunity.

Reference * 961    Hello Another Lurker.
Miss Radcliffe who taught 3B I think its called year 5 now?  for boys and girls age 10 ish ,   I was pleased that I was NOT in her class as she had a reputation giving the slipper to girls in her class and for some reason,   She would send boys in her class mostly at play time to Mr. Hislop to get as they were in the 3rd form three whacks of his slipper before going out to play , She even checked up that they went to get the slipper,  After break time and they returned to class she would ask each boy “did it hurt” ?   If they were wise they would say Yes Miss I was told that one boy said no Miss and before he could say yes Miss he was sent to mr Hislop for three of the slipper again  “ouch”   Looking back she liked to send boys for the slipper!    When she did boys playground duty ( boys and girls had separate playgrounds)  She would send boys to get the shipper from Mr Hislop in the school hall , for minor offences,   Once she even sent me from the playground to get the slipper,   I went to Mr. Hislop in the school hall    He told me to touch my toes I obeyed and I got two stinging strokes of his slipper I still touched my toes waiting for the 3rd stroke ,  But he slippering over up you get  back to the playground.    When I got back Miss Radcliffe asked me did it hurt John?  I was wise enough to say yes Miss..      As you can guess I was pleased not to be in her class.

Mr. Kissack
When Mr Kissack did boys playground duty he carried a cane,  at playtime he would have a boy or boys touch their toes in the playground and when that happened the whole playground went silent!    Most of the time it was for two taps of the cane (not punishment strokes)   he managed to cane every boy in the play ground one time or another , Even I felt his cane for two taps in the playground.  He was a likeable teacher
Must close now
John_Smage

About You:
Gender:    Male
Approximate age when punished:  12
Approximate year of punishment: 1971
Crime committed or alleged: Three detentions in a term

About the punishment
Administered by Head, or Staff member:  Head
Gender of staff member:  Male
Location punished (Classroom, Office, Hallway etc):  His office
Type of punishment (Cane,Slipper,Paddle etc):  Cane
Number of strokes: 4
Applied to (Hand, Bottom, Legs etc):  Bottom
Position adopted (Standing, Bending over Chair, Desk etc): laying over desk
State of dress (Over Trousers/Skirt, panties, bare etc): School uniform trousers
Privacy (In private, In front of Class, With another teacher etc): Private

About the school
Name of School: I prefer not to say as there are some people trying to prosecute as a result of the frequency of punishments in my second account
Town: South West UK
Country: UK

Effectiveness
Were you ever punished again for the same offence?:  No I wasn’t
Do you consider the punishment effective?: Very much so

Any other relevant info:

I was caned twice more at school and slippered often

Second Account (this was not a one off)

Gender:    Male
Approximate age when punished:  17
Approximate year of punishment: 1976
Crime committed or alleged: Missing part of a cross country route during the race

About the punishment
Administered by Head, or Staff member:  One of the masters superising games (usually RE master)
Gender of staff member:  Male
Location punished (Classroom, Office, Hallway etc):  On cross-country course
Type of punishment (Cane,Slipper,Paddle etc):  Slipper
Number of strokes: 6
Applied to (Hand, Bottom, Legs etc):  Bottom
Position adopted (Standing, Bending over Chair, Desk etc): Holding fallen tree trunk
State of dress (Over Trousers/Skirt, panties, bare etc): Shorts at ankles, bare
Privacy (In private, In front of Class, With another teacher etc): Other runnings etc passing

About the school
Name of School: I prefer not to say as there are some people trying to prosecute as a result of the frequency of punishments in my second account
Town: South West UK
Country: UK

Effectiveness
Were you ever punished again for the same offence?:  Yes
Do you consider the punishment effective?: Was a contrived charge

This occured quite often, bare punishments were not rare in PE but some masters who supervised games took it too far

Could you indicate how much the second punishment hurt or was it intended just to embarrass and humiliate you.

Hurt tremendously, he gave it very hard on a sweaty backside after a long run, and then of course you had to finish the rest of the run fast or expect more on your return

sirromse,

Two most interesting accounts. The obvious question is why have the litigants left it so long to
sue? Has something happened recently that has encouraged them?  Are they proposing to sue
the school/local education authority or the teachers personally (assuming they are still alive)?

You said you had another caning. Are you willing to give details please?

Apologies for all the questions but, as l said, they are interesting accounts.

Actually i have no idea why they are doing it now, I only heard rumours to that effect – I assume all the recent publicity of such situations has caused them to feel comfortable doing it now – again not sure if it is a private or criminal prosecution. I assume private as I suspect they are after money rather than punishment or preventing a recurrence.

Yes I had three canings, next two were at 15 and 18. All three were in heads office by the head and were 4,4 and six strokes, all over the desk and all on trousers (jacket off, shirt untucked), although on the last occassion he checked for padding.

Thank you for your account. Like you I was caned in the 6th form and similarly it bloody well hurt.

how were your canings given

Hello sirromse!  The accounts of your punishments are a valuable contribution to the Forum.  Thanks for sharing them.