Tell Me Something............Anything!

[struth]

I'm trying to visualise what kind of person with nothing better to do thought that lot up.

whoever it was, has obviously been speaking to the EU's institutional triangle far too much.

[Macca]

they were plants.. the stalks were used to lash now we're talkin'

No not quite


The ferula was a piece of whalebone about a foot long covered with hard rubber so that it presented a flat surface about two inches across. In practice this was given in doses of between 3 and 12 strokes although in theory it could go a high as 18, which was always called 'Twice Nine'.

All punishment was given in the 'Ferula Office' by the discipline master. If a boy was judged in class to deserve punishment, for misconduct, laziness or just a poor result in a test, the class teacher would write him a bill, a slip of paper saying how many strokes he was to get and why. This would need to be countersigned by the Lower/Middle/Upper School master and then within 24 hours he had to turn up at the Ferula Office for his punishment.

Funny how what we used to consider perfectly normal and commonplace 40 years ago would now result in jail time.

The thinking behind this system was humane (if you had to have corporal punishment at all). It ensured that boys were never beaten in anger. The countersigning ensured a sort of 'peer review' by a fellow teacher (although in practice this was meaningless) and the ferula itself, being flat, was much less likely to cause an injury than was a cane.[/I]

[struth]

No not quite


The ferula was a piece of whalebone about a foot long covered with hard rubber so that it presented a flat surface about two inches across. In practice this was given in doses of between 3 and 12 strokes although in theory it could go a high as 18, which was always called 'Twice Nine'.

All punishment was given in the 'Ferula Office' by the discipline master. If a boy was judged in class to deserve punishment, for misconduct, laziness or just a poor result in a test, the class teacher would write him a bill, a slip of paper saying how many strokes he was to get and why. This would need to be countersigned by the Lower/Middle/Upper School master and then within 24 hours he had to turn up at the Ferula Office for his punishment.

Funny how what we used to consider perfectly normal and commonplace 40 years ago would now result in jail time.

The thinking behind this system was humane (if you had to have corporal punishment at all). It ensured that boys were never beaten in anger. The countersigning ensured a sort of 'peer review' by a fellow teacher (although in practice this was meaningless) and the ferula itself, being flat, was much less likely to cause an injury than was a cane.[/I]

cool.. mine was via this which is probably similar ..Latin ferula (“giant fennel (whose stalks were once used in punishing schoolboys); rod, whip”), from ferire (“to strike”).

wouldnt have been normal at my school. belting was common but not the cane; it would have got you in real trouble. in fact one teacher did hit a boy with one once and he got in real trouble. suspended and threatened with court and loss of job. once i reached 2/3 yaer i didnt take belt of any of them. if they tried it on then i'd defend myself..i once flung the pt teacher in swimming pool for trying to push me around he complained bitterly to rector, who asked me nicely not to be so rough... all he wanted was trophies for his display, which i gave him, so i got to do what i liked within reason.
i rarely actually went to classes i was a very naughty boy

[Filterlab]

Freedom of speech disappears before our very eyes, and the media stand by and applaud.

Sad times indeed.

I remember when a man was a man and a woman was a woman.

[guy]

Lola

(will it be banned from BBC playlists?)

[walpurgis]

i was a very naughty boy

So was I!

[Filterlab]

Lola

(will it be banned from BBC playlists?)

Doesn't matter, the BBC will soon be gone anyway. Hooray!

[Macca]

cool.. mine was via this which is probably similar ..Latin ferula (“giant fennel (whose stalks were once used in punishing schoolboys); rod, whip”), from ferire (“to strike”).

wouldnt have been normal at my school. belting was common but not the cane; it would have got you in real trouble. in fact one teacher did hit a boy with one once and he got in real trouble. suspended and threatened with court and loss of job. once i reached 2/3 yaer i didnt take belt of any of them. if they tried it on then i'd defend myself..i once flung the pt teacher in swimming pool for trying to push me around he complained bitterly to rector, who asked me nicely not to be so rough... all he wanted was trophies for his display, which i gave him, so i got to do what i liked within reason.
i rarely actually went to classes i was a very naughty boy

I only had it once, 3 on each hand, can't remember what for but I think whatever it was I was not guilty. By my day they'd dispensed with the 'peer review' bit, you just went out into the corridor to get it. It hurt but was better than being punched in the head or similar which some would do. Had the cane in primary school for 'running' - now that did wreck, six strokes on the back of the legs, on a cold day, short trousers, that really stung. Of course even at seven years old it was a point of honour that you didn't flinch or indeed give any indication that you were at all bothered by it.

[guy]

I never had corporal punishment.
My mate (Mario) and I were taken to the head's office when we were at primary (about '67/68) and the head was apoplectic. I still remember clearly his red face and his shouting at us that if he had his way he would be using his cane to teach us a lesson, but that he was no longer allowed to, as it had been banned only a few weeks previously.
Our punishment was no break times for a week, our "crime" - throwing snowballs at a passing double decker bus as we walked in to school.

[walpurgis]

our "crime" - throwing snowballs at a passing double decker bus as we walked in to school.

That was very naughty!