School punishments(boys 2)

 

South Africa, small rural town, late 70s to early 80s

(Thanks, Greg)

 

"At school, CP was just part of the daily routine. The instrument used was invariably the cane. They were thin flexible rattan canes. I can still clearly recall the feeling of nervousness at seeing a long, quivering yellow cane. Only a few teachers used a cane though, and others used a ruler to hit on the hands. When you had done something more serious, you were sent to the headmaster or one of the other teachers for a caning.

I used to get canings from my sports teacher. He used to cane us if we forgot to bring our soccer boots to soccer practice for Physical Training period. We were not allowed to play in our school uniform. If anyone had forgotten their PT kit, we had to stand aside from the main group, and when they started playing, he would turn to us. He didn't engage in a lengthy lecture - he just launched into the canings, probably figuring that a lecture would just be a waste.

One by one we had to bend over, touch toes, and get our 'cuts'. It was usually 3 cuts for forgetting our soccer kit. If you did something worse, like swear at a teacher or get caught smoking behind the bicycle shed, you would get more - usually 6 cuts.

After the PT period when everyone was in the change room changing from soccer gear back into school uniform, the boys who got caned would compare welts. They were a mark of pride, and those with the boldest welts were always the subject of many "oohs" and "wows". The best was if you had raised "ridges" from the welts - that was a sign that the teacher had been particularly energetic on your behind. I have to admit that, after the initial intense sting went away, I think I enjoyed showing my welts to compare with the others.

Greg"

 

Published: 08/27/04

 

Zaragoza, Spain, 50's

(original in Spanish, gracias, Andrés)

 

"At eleven, my parents, deeply catholic, decided that my education was going to be with the Jesuits, as a boarder. Corporal punishment was something usual there, and it used to be very harsh. At the classroom, the normal punishments were slaps on the face, if you had some inkblot.

Going to the blackboard was much feared, because the padre gave us good rod blows on each mistake. You were ordered to release the chalk, and you knew that you were going to receive three lashes on the hands, and you then continued with the exercise, and so until finishing, if you could. If you didn’t, you were sent to kneel with your arms outstretched on the “box”, some boards with pebbles that bitted into the knees. The pain was insufferable. At the classroom, we were seldom hit on the buttocks.

After finishing the week, on the last hour of Saturday, a list was made with all who would be flogged the next day after mass. When you were on the list, you were not allowed to receive Holy Communion.

On Sunday, after the mass, the ones that were for the punishment waited on the church’s benches until being called for the rod. From there, when called, you entered a small chapel, which was not used for celebrating mass. It had three small benches for prayer, on which we were flogged kneeling and with the pants lowered.

The padre called us depending on who he disliked more. The first ones were the ones to be punished harder with the rod. The padre was not our teacher, he was the school’s headmaster, and so the one who gave the harsher punishments. He was a tall and strong man with bad purpose, who received the strongest respect, and to whom you had to say always "Señor".

In the chapel we were individually flogged. Before the blows, he read our tutor’s letters, and asked us what we had done, for requesting explanations. If you had smoked, or hit a classmate, before the flogging you have received a good beating, based on slaps on the face and tugs on the ears or whiskers.

Then he ordered you to kneel, leaving the buttocks naked. He used to give ten to fifteen lashes to each one, which left our skin raised and with black welts. It was very bad, and you couldn’t even sit afterwards. Then you went outside, and waited until he had finished with the last. It was horrible to hear that man hitting. I couldn’t stand the noise of the rod or my classmate’s moans.

Finally, the ones who had received the rod were denied the Sunday games and meeting with the girls who used coming for learning the catechism. We received work, as washing the church or the mass utensils and, when finished, we were forced to study.

I was there until 16.

Andrés"

 

 

Published: 10/09/04