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KKxyz3,59957
| Kept in by Scottish artist Eskine Nicol, circa 1871. Note the taws. |
Irish schoolmasterOne matter I have previously largely overlooked is the connection between religious beliefs and the use of the paddle. Does the Southern Baptist Convention, which is dominant in the South, favour paddles over other implements including the biblical “rod”?
The former United States of America, and its public education system, was nominally secular. However, to be elected to public office candidates usually have to profess, but not necessarily practice, protestant “Christian” beliefs.
I have previously noted that paddles do not seem to feature in the bible.
viewtopic.php?f=198833&t=2749&p=45213
There are difficulties with the translation of ancient texts into modern English.
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2015holyfamilypenguin4,32069
http://archive.boston.com/news/local/ar … le?pg=full
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Chr … 733062.php
But any instrument off chastisement that stings can do the trick asa priorly noted.
https://judgybitch.files.wordpress.com/ … anking.jpg
https://ideafix7.wordpress.com/2009/12/ … relations/
It comes down do to what is culturally sanctioned, so in our rural and white conservatives (pockets/districts) like Enterprise, Alabama, that have fewer blacks, there would likely have a religious component.. The blacks would be less religious than the whites when it comes to the strictly observed literal teachings.
Here is an example of a religious school corporal punishment.
The prayer after five swats I’m sure is very reassuring after they do their night prayers and sleep on their tummies.
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KKxyz3,59957
I would advise against opening of any of the above hyperlinks if your physical or mental health is impaired, or if you are a liberal, a socialist or worse.
If you must view, remove all valuable ornaments and objects from your vicinity.
Make sure you have an adequate but less than lethal supply of valium in the house.
Do not eat or drink while viewing because of the risk of choking.
Best not to view at all.
The following illustration is from a highly regarded children’s book. It may or may not accurate portray school punishment – it was well before the artist’s time and a little before the author’s – but it may have helped normalization of the paddle and engraining it in the culture.
Tom gets an unfair paddling from new teacher Mr. Standish for refusing to tattle on a classmate.
The Great Brain (1967) chapter 7.
The Great Brain is a series of children’s books by American author John Dennis Fitzgerald (1906–1988). Set in the small town of Adenville, Utah, between 1896 and 1898, the stories are loosely based on Fitzgerald’s childhood experiences. Chronicled by the first-person voice of John Dennis Fitzgerald, the stories mainly center on the escapades of John’s mischievous older brother, Tom Dennis Fitzgerald, a.k.a. “The Great Brain”.
Mercer Mayer (born 1943) illustrated the books.
The boy is going to be struck cross the back and shoulders, and likely elsewhere if he moves, with a switch far too big and heavy for the task..
Michael Day, a former elementary school teacher and school principal from Barkhamsted, CT, is owner of Clippership Publications which specializes in the production of materials that relate to the US traditional one room schoolhouse.
I do not know the origin of the cover drawing.
The diagram is speculative rather than definitive and is subject to review and revision. Recent additions are in blue.
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Another_Lurker10K289
You said of the image of the young lady teacher with the switch on the cover of the Michael Day publication:
I do not know the origin of the cover drawing.
It is given a date of 1878 in the file name of this version on a German blog, lehrerin-rohrstock-1878, teacher-cane-1878. This is a fairly good quality image and shows very clearly that the implement is a switch, the buds and remains of stripped side-growth are readily visible if the relevant section is magnified.
The image is found in many places, and none I have looked at positively identify it as illustrating a US school house, though I would agree with you that it probably does. However there is an outside chance that it may illustrate a schoolhouse much closer to home – at least for you! 
According to this Chinese blog at some point earlier in the year this poster appeared on a notice board in a recreated schoolroom at the Ferrymead Heritage Park, Christchurch, New Zealand.
The schools mentioned appear to have been in or near Christchurch. So much for not punishing for academic failure if the information for Springston School in the 1890s is correct! Of course whoever put the poster together probably just nicked the image off the web, which I suspect is what Mr Day probably did when looking for a cover illustration for his book. Interestingly the poster does claim that the switch , or rather a cut ‘supplejack’ was in use in New Zealand schools, a Takaka school in 1880 is mentioned.