Caned by the Headmaster!

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Slim Kim: When Kim is caught sneaking out of detention by the Headmaster, she is forced to accompany him to his office for a sound thrashing, an experience she finds, much to her surprise, to be intensely exciting... The first point of no return’ she said, almost mischievously. I glanced up at her, expecting to see a twinkle in her eye, but there was nothing. The majority of teachers were male and although we had more women teachers later, at the time in question, when I was 14, we had only two female teachers. The master's view of corporal punishment is that, though he disapproves generally, it "does no harm in many cases, particularly in ordinary schools, where the boy is normal and healthy."

They have shared many other examples, which I can relate, if you need reminding, but first, let’s see what you think.’ Temptation: Veronica faces twelve cruel strokes of the cane, which is going to be horribly painful. But the Headmaster offers her a deal, a wager, which may reduce the number of strokes. So now it all depends on how much Veronica is prepared to risk. He took the pictures because he was increasingly concerned at the severity with which "maladjusted and emotionally disturbed boys" were beaten. The boy in this case is aged 14. A teacher is liable to instant dismissal for infringing the punishment regulations. Figures show, unfortunately, that this is precisely what is happening. Within three years of their release 60 p.c. of the boys passing through approved schools are found guilty of a crime.The approved schools are being left with the "harder cases," and some of the original idealism and hope appears to have got lost in the process. He says that "far worse" beatings have been inflicted, by both present and previous headmasters and their deputies. Four out of five doctors to whom the photographs were shown consider the caning, in at least one case, was too harsh and exceeded the maximum punishment permitted by Home Office regulations. When I attended secondary school in the early 1970s I was caned by my form mistress when I was in third year. There was detention every Thursday for an hour after school for girls whose names were entered in the detention book during the previous week. Teachers could put girls names in this book as a punishment. My English teacher put my name in the book on a Wednesday because I did not have my homework done and did not have the correct textbook in class. I did not turn up for detention. The following morning the form mistress came to my classroom holding a cane. She called me outside and brought me to a cloakroom at the end of the corridor. She then gave me two strokes on each hand. A stroke of this cane really hurt.

I muttered my assent, trying to raise my eyes to meet hers. This proved to be particularly difficult. A psychologist described him as "dispirited, a bit 'damped down' and quiet ... now and then he can give you a cheery smile and be quite friendly ... timid ... dislikes the fights at his school."One such staff member, the junior coach, Mr flint (Ryan Conway) had got himself in to trouble and was reporting to the Heads study to explain himself. There seemed little room for manoeuvre and soon he found himself bending over to take punishment like any sixth former he too might have had to deal with!

The master making the allegations at first refused to go to the Home Office because, he said, he feared an inquiry could lead to the dismissal of a headmaster who was merely typical of many others. A psychiatrist advised that he was a "disturbed boy, likely to deteriorate in his present home." He suggested that the boy should be placed in a children's home, but there was no vacancy so he was sent to the approved school instead.The investigation will almost certainly be conducted by someone outside the Home Office, probably a leading lawyer.