Last month I posted a hypothetical dilemma for you and thought you might like another one.
The year is 1962. You've just been appointed as headmaster in a traditional British Grammar school that employs the use of corporal punishment "for serious and repeated bad behaviour" and now you're meeting with the Deputy Head to get up to speed on how things run in the school currently. The subject of corporal punishment has just come up. Apparently many of the teachers use a plimsoll to enforce classroom discipline and that is generally just allowed to carry on in a fairly unregulated fashion. However what is really meant by "corporal punishment" is formal caning in the privacy of the office of the headmaster or deputy. Canings are never given in view of other pupils unless two or more are being caned at the same time for the same offence. Canings are typically for smoking, bullying, fighting, theft, petty vandalism and truancy, but there is also a rule that any pupil who gets an after-school detention three times in one term will also be subject to caning.
The deputy head expresses his view that this is sometimes a nuisance - for example, in the final week of the previous term no less than seven pupils clocked up a third detention - because they were all in different classes he had to arrange for each of them to be brought his office to be caned at different times and it had taken a big chunk of his time. His suggestion is that the system should be tweaked and that those earning a caning under the three-detentions rule could be caned during the detention even 'though others would be present. The idea seems to have some merits and it might act as a handy deterrent to those already on a second detention.
You're inclined to give it a go. So your decision is either...
- When one or more of the pupils are there for a third detention, the person supervising the detention checks all the names at the start of the detention and informs the guilty parties that they are going to be caned at the end of the detention - in theory they would know that anyway, but having any hope dashed would mean them having to sit throughout the detention period knowing what was coming to them shortly and would mean they had no time to recover their composure before going home. One of you would then turn up in the last five minutes or so and cane all of those deserving.
- One of you arrives at the start of the detention, with the cane. As soon as the register is completed those due to be caned would be called forward and their canings delivered. They would then have to sit through the remainder of the detention in significant discomfort, watched by everyone else, and unable to rub their bottoms as they might wish.
11 comments:
I love hypotheticals, but I'm afraid it takes the enjoyment of them to be presented with only two options, especially when neither of which are consistent with what I would actually do. So, I'm going to have to go with option #3 which would be to inform the students' parents after their kids' second detention that a third will trigger a 3 day suspension and require a note from them for the student to return to class.
My feeling is that the parents would then be able to deal with their own kid as they deem appropriate rather than settle such an issue with a caning. And with such a policy I believe 'third offenses' would drop dramatically.
I kindof agree that there should be a third option for readers to add their own preferred option - I'll remember that in future but I won't modify the current post at this stage. Where I might disagree is that I think suspension is over-used a lot today and with some kids just getting themselves suspended as an alternative to getting into trouble for playing truant.
Trouble with these two options is that neither solves the problem of inefficiency in dispensing the 3 detention canings. In both cases, the head or deputy head would have to attend every detention!
I would opt for #1A.
In #1A, just as in your #1, the detention monitor identifies those attending their third detention. The difference is he then issues to each an RP – Request for Punishment – which must be delivered in person first thing tomorrow morning to the Deputy Head. Then if there is more than one, they’ll be caned together as if being caned for the same offense.
This way there is no wasted energy “rounding up”, there is no need for the Deputy to attend every detention, and finally, those who earned a caning get the entire evening to fret about what’s going to happen first thing tomorrow.
Regards,
Tired
I would go for a modified version of Option 2. Canings should not be given in front of others. However, the caning could be done at the back of the room so that the others could not watch, in a stock room if that is part of the room as happens in some schools, or outside in the corridor as I understand happened in many American schools.
Old Tom
JS: I agree suspension nowadays seem to lack teeth. I guess I was assuming your example was "historical hypothetical" since I don't think caning is currently in vogue. But if you are speculating on real solutions to discipline problems OUTSIDE the realm of actual reality or likelihood, then I would go with option #4: After the third offense, the parents are caned.
I think too much of current school inefficiency, both in education and discipline, is due to the abdication of parental involvement and responsibility. "Let the school take care of it" is hardly the motto of caring, concerned, and involved parents, but rather the lazy choice of 'children' who are adults only in terms of their ages. And maybe it's those 'adult "kids"' who need the caning?
"I think too much of current school inefficiency, both in education and discipline, is due to the abdication of parental involvement and responsibility. "Let the school take care of it" is hardly the motto of caring, concerned, and involved parents, but rather the lazy choice of 'children' who are adults only in terms of their ages. And maybe it's those 'adult "kids"' who need the caning?"
Oh I do agree. Well said.
Old Tom
Fascinating conversation gentlemen, thank you!
Well, I have never once disagreed with James or Old Tom on this superlative Blog, so I won't start now ha-ha!
Oh my! What a lovely, nasty, lil' piece of quality, whippy-thin, rattan cane in the photo James - exactly what I gotten across my bare bottom from mother when I was naughty growing up in 1960s Atlanta, Georgia (ditto for my sister). Wishy-washy, PC wokerati nonsense was light years' away!
And so do I agree with K D Pierre that "option 3: a letter home to parents" is always a good one (in my rueful experience!) Y'all feared that consequence of a letter home. Still do in Georgia at least!
Woe betide me & my sister if we were bad at school, or church, or in store...or indeed anywhere!! Our school had the paddle... over clothes, obviously. It was almost a non-entity, because in the 1960s & 70s, y'all daughters gotten their bare bottoms whooped at home - the Southern strap was ubiquitous & normal - & so CP at school was almost considered a red herring (if not a red bottom).
My sister & I never gotten spanked at school (savvy eh?!!) because we sure did not want the cane across our bare buttocks from mother at home!! That was the dreaded punishment we gotten a whole bunch from a young age for other misdemeanours (it was the only punishment in our house!! No naughty steps required). All was Spartan & religious & typically Southern in yore. And all swell in retrospect, naturally! Whoopings sure did us girls good & gave mom some peace, already!
Thanks James, as always.
Brenda xx
The context fits very well with my schooldays at a 60's grammar school where the slipper was used far more than detentions.
As to the hypothesis I think I favour option 2 with a caning at the commencement of detention.
One thought would be that to avoid wasting the time of the headmaster or deputy there should be a request for their presence complete with cane in hand after the registration of attendees and confirmation that there are indeed three time offenders present to be dealt with.
Administering the caning in front of other offenders would serve as a deterrent as well as a reminder of what to expect for others present if they continue to be awarded further detentions.
Tony
I'd cane them hard at the back of the room, and watch the others in the front flinch at each thud of rattan landing on tight trousers.
And I would warn the others in the room that if they turned their heads to watch, they would get the same, and 'extras'.
I do believe Targetarear that we are on much the same track.
Old Tom
Merry Christmas, James. Thank you for all your awesome posts this year, 2021!
With all good wishes for the Festive Season. God bless you!
Merry Christmas Old Tom too, & y'all readers.
Brenda xx
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