Corporal Punishment and schooling

[heart of peace]

Were you ever hit by a teacher in school?

I attended Catholic school for 4 years during elementary school and one nun in specific was notorious for smacking her ruler on student's hands (nothing to leave a mark but still, in today's society that would be grounds for suspension). I also had another teacher take my camera and destroy it because I accidently took a picture of her and I didn't know it was a no-no (she believed that when people took your picture, a piece of your soul was removed from you or something weird like that).

I find it fascinating that I have memories like these in my generation in the US. I was curious if others did as well.

 

[progressivegal]

No (Thank God!). My grandmother was, and that's why she chose not to put her children in private schools even though she had attended them herself. Then it was still common to be hit by teachers in private schools.

 

[~Mrs. A2J~]

No. That kind of thing was not allowed in the puclic school system when I was growing up in England.

 

[MyaShane]

I remember hearing about it in grade school (someone getting paddled by the principal), whether that really happened or if it was rumors though, I don't know. I remember getting called to the principal's office once and died 1000 deaths walking there, but it was just because he had a question for me!
I don't want to think of what I would do if someone at my daughter's school used any physical punishment on her! I'm not real comfortable with anyone besides my husband or myself doling out the discipline with our girls.

 

[TexasSky]

I'm old, and spanking was common in school, though I managed to avoid it personally.

I saw some teachers who seemed to think if they couldn't make a child cry they weren't hitting hard enough, and I saw some serious bruising so I always denied the school the right to use corporal punishment on my children.

 

[Sign Of The Fish Burger]

No, that sort of thing was not common in Canada, where I attended school.

However I do remember my mother telling me stories of being a child and getting her hand smacked with a ruler if she talked out of turn.

 

[DestinationHome]

I went to Catholic school through 8th grade and saw several teachers' paddles and heard threats from teachers about them. I never knew anyone to actually be hit with one, though I may have been naive. Probably.

I do vividly remember, though, in public high school one teacher getting upset with the guy who was sitting behind me. The teacher hurled a chalkboard eraser at the kid. Scared (well behaved) me more than it did the troublemaker.

 

[Leanna]

My husband did, and his parents, but not I.

 

[GolfingMom]

No. I never heard of it till I was older. I never experienced it.

 

[Neenie1]

I never was, but remember it happening. (I started kindy in early 80s in Australia)

 

[CelticRose]

It was common practice to use a cane on misbehaving boys all through my primary schooling. Personally I found it traumatic for everyone involved. Some Church schools out here will only enrol a child if there parents have signed an agreement to the use of corporeal punishment if the teacher deems it necessary. State schools have outlawed it in every state now I think.

 

[Caffeinated]

I was swatted on the bottom once by my first or second grade teacher. She lost her temper with me, basically. I had gone to the bathroom and while I was in there, another girl showed me how to use paper towels to plug the sink drain and then play in the water! I thought it was great fun, but when I didn't return to the classroom, the teacher came looking for me. She yelled, grabbed me by the arm and swatted me and dragged me back to class. I certainly was misbehaving (I didn't MEAN to be bad...I just was having fun and not thinking about the fact that I was misbehaving), but like I said, she lost her temper. This was around 1985.

 

[lucypevensie]

I experienced swats. You had to go into a private room and shut the door and you had to bend over while the teacher applied the wooden paddle. Yeah, it was extremely humiliating and degrading. They don't do that at the school anymore thankfully. It's not one of my nicer childhood memories. Happened to me twice. The stupidest thing is that they weren't even for bad behavior. It was because I wasn't doing my math (or something. I forget - guess it really taught me a lesson huh ) because I did not know how to do the work, and was afraid to ask for help because the teachers always got snippy and impatient when I did ask for help. Either way I got in trouble.

Stupid teachers.

 

[progressivegal]

I was swatted on the bottom once by my first or second grade teacher. She lost her temper with me, basically. I had gone to the bathroom and while I was in there, another girl showed me how to use paper towels to plug the sink drain and then play in the water! I thought it was great fun, but when I didn't return to the classroom, the teacher came looking for me. She yelled, grabbed me by the arm and swatted me and dragged me back to class. I certainly was misbehaving (I didn't MEAN to be bad...I just was having fun and not thinking about the fact that I was misbehaving), but like I said, she lost her temper. This was around 1985.

awwwww ,

 

[heart of peace]

Wow, caffeinated and lucypevensie! Both of these experiences were in the US, that's what surprises me more I suppose. We have moved so far away from that point that now teachers keep the kids at arms length to the point that is a detriment to the relationship.

 

[lucypevensie]

Wow, caffeinated and lucypevensie! Both of these experiences were in the US, that's what surprises me more I suppose. We have moved so far away from that point that now teachers keep the kids at arms length to the point that is a detriment to the relationship.

I know what you mean. It's too bad there can't be some middle ground.

 

[picassoui]

Were you ever hit by a teacher in school?

I attended Catholic school for 4 years during elementary school and one nun in specific was notorious for smacking her ruler on student's hands (nothing to leave a mark but still, in today's society that would be grounds for suspension). I also had another teacher take my camera and destroy it because I accidently took a picture of her and I didn't know it was a no-no (she believed that when people took your picture, a piece of your soul was removed from you or something weird like that).

I find it fascinating that I have memories like these in my generation in the US. I was curious if others did as well.

I attended school in America during the eighties and in Elementary school Corporal Punishment was apart of every day life . I was paddled on the rear a total of only three times and my hand was hit maybe once or twice so not a big deal.However i am opposed to it in all schools with one exception i believe it is the paren'ts sole responibility and right to choose what reasonable and fair discipline should be rendered to their child and no one elses . The one exception i would make are boarding schools where the staff must serve the role of custodial guardians i think they should have the right to use reasonable corporal punishment .

Personally I believe that the only ill effect it had on me in l was that it was done in front of other students and the humiliation is always worse than the physical sting .. This I believe should never be done in front of other children.

 

[Hadassah]

I did.
My parents gave permission at the public school in VA to use corporal punishment, and same for the private christian school I attended in 2nd grade. What would happen is the teachers would call and talk to my parents, then I would talk to my parents, and then whatever punishment was agreed upon between my parents and the teacher after I was on and off the phone was accepted (Sometimes a swat, sometimes sitting in the corner for a while.. and then I got punished when I got home for misbehaving in school... None of the incidents were "light" either. I really, really misbehaved)

When we went to a DOD school, the teachers were to call my parents and we'd talk and punishment would be meted out when we got home.

 

[JulySheMustFly]

I do not have any personal experience with corporal punishment in the public school system I went through. Had there been any my parents would have been livid! Thankfully though it was NOT an acceptable practice in my school district.

My husband however attended a private christian school where he we was spanked more than once and smacked with rulers.

 

[moonkitty]

I went to a Baptist Christian academy for my first few elementary years, and spankings were fairly common. I was often spanked. Fail a spelling test—a lick for each word you got wrong. And the words you missed on your last test were added to your next week words. By the end of the year I was getting spanked twice a week, usually once during the week for “unchristian like” behavior (questioning God, not wearing socks, dirty hands or face) and usually about 30-45 licks on Friday for my Inability to spell. (A few years later I was diagnosed with dysgraphica) Finally my parents pulled me out of that school when it was fairly apparent I was getting more beatings than learning. The final straw though, was when they told my mom, who loves her jewelry, that should could only wear her wedding band when she came to pick us up. LOL.

About ten years ago the church and school went bankrupt, and was torn down and turned into a parking lot. When I found out about it, I literally had a "yeah they're mowed under" party


Is it any wonder I’m against corporal punishment?