Corporal Punishment in Schools
Before, and during my schooldays at Sandy Bank elementary school, we had a succession of maniacal teachers, both men and women, who took extreme pleasure in inflicting serious bodily damage to students who were guilty of quite simple mistakes. Placed strategically on their desk was their favourite instrument of terror, a strap of leather, made to order by some equally wicked shoemaker.
The STRAP represented discipline, and was aimed at better academic achievement, or the lack thereof. Some poor students excelled in neither of these pursuits; hence they got the strap frequently. To me it seemed that the more they were strapped, the less they tried to do better. Or was it that they developed thick skins in the palm of their hands? Teacher would line up the offenders around a platform on which their desk was placed, and order one by one to stretch out their hands for the strokes he or she intended to inflict. If the victim was slow or shied away, he/she would strap them on the back, side, and front or anywhere there was flesh to be pounded. May times blood would flow, or great whales would appear on the backs of the children.
I wondered many times if these abusers ever were the recipients of such torture. We had once a woman principal of ample proportions who, whenever she wore a dress with red on any part of it, would be a terror that day, and sometimes the whole week. The older boys would predict that it was that time of the month, whenever she wore red. I did not know of what they spoke then. But she was a tiger quite often.
I will not call names here, but that tyrant tore into a young fellow who was doing his last few days in school because he was 15 and was finished elementary school. Nobody was aware of anything he did or said that set her off, but she ordered him to put out his hands one at a time and she lashed him mercilessly. He complied at first, but when she continued, he had enough, and grabbed the strap the next time it hit his hands. He held on to it as hard as he could and she struggled with him and he finally let it go. Was she ever angry, her big lips were trembling, her eyes were glazed? I was wishing he would get hold of that strap and let her have a few strokes herself. The entire school would have cheered. At 15 he was a young man, and he grabbed his books and proudly strode out of the school and never returned, I had enormous respect for him ever since. He lives in Treasure Beach to this day.
The male teachers were equally brutal. One guy thought it was manlier to use canes, so he bought them by the boxfuls. I believe the department of education supplied them. A big boy named Roston (RIP) got caned once and decided that he was not putting up with this, so he broke into the school one evening and using a knife he jointed ever single cane in the boxes. Next day teacher Fagan started to cane a boy, and with the first hit the cane broke into bits, he grabbed another and the same thing happened, one by one bits on his cane littered the school. His cache of canes was depleted then and there. Much joy reigned that day.
The same teacher made the mistake of caning a senior girl who promptly left the school and walked home to Great Bay, to complain to her mother Miss Hutchie. It was not too long after that an irate mother arrived at school, marched up to the principal’s desk, grabbed teacher by his tie and swore at him for putting his hands on her daughter who is a young lady, and threatened to box his face. He wrestled away from her grasp and put a desk between them. She ranted and raged and called him every name in the book. He finally got her outside, ordered all the doors closed and he darted inside and left her rattling the doors to get inside at him. He left the school altogether shortly after.
One lady teacher arrived and placed her strap on her desk the day of her arrival and informed us that it was a cat- o- nine tail, which meant that the end was split into nine strips, which would inflict serious damage. I recall her using that thing on a small boy one day and his backside began to bleed quite profusely. She became alarmed and examined him, only to find out that he had yaws, which she ruptured. She ordered him not to come back to school until he was healed because yaws was contagious. From that day onward he was nick named ‘Itchy bam bam’. She was a good teacher though, but only stayed a short time. Cat-o-nines were used to flog prisoners in Jamaican jails in those days.
Principals were the only teachers permitted to use a strap on the children, but assistant teachers were sometimes more brutal using wooden rulers with steel inserts to ‘kunk’ kids in the heads, or to slap their behinds. Others would throw the black board erasers at unsuspecting kids and hurt them at times.
I remember Christopher Gordon, (RIP) with his small daughter Merdel (RIP) in tow, seeking my father’s advice, as to whether he should proceed to the police station to report a teacher for abusing his child. The woman had strapped her across her back and left several hefty whales across her tiny back. These wounds had turned black and blue and red, and looked very angry. The child was only about 7 or 8, and she had walked home from school, and he walked her back, and intended to go to the police station, but my dad advised him to save himself the trouble because the police would do nothing about it. Dad advised him to visit the teacher and complain to her but he refused saying that he might hit her himself.
My father’s advice was sought very often by people in the area, who were in conflict of varying kinds.
He was a logical man and did not believe one could redress every wrong done. Pursue peace, he would say. One young man, whose girlfriend had given him his walking papers, arrived at our gate and announced that he was on his way to the Police Station to let them know that he was going to kill her. Dad talked him out of it and he left. They married later and had several children. My dad lived to the age of 95 years in Sandy Bank, his name Alfred Keith James. He died 26 years ago.
I believe Sandy Bank Primary has been well staffed in the past several years. This is a privileged children of my era did not enjoy. We went many years without a qualified teacher in command.
I also hope that the idea of beating up on children in schools or at home is an idea that has evolved into different kinds of punishment in Treasure Beach.

RAYMOND WHAT YOU DESCRIBE IS NOT THE CORPORAL PUNISHMENT anyone should advocate, it is brutality. Corporal punishment is no longer used, but that is an over-reaction, it should still be administered in cases of serious breach of discipline, but never for an inability to learn, and it should never be done in anger or in the manner you describe.

Pain, humiliation and fear are techniques from the concentration camps.

I learn best with encouragement.

You are right Roy those teachers are wicked people, {edited by TBNet} bet they would,nt dear hit children like that these days, they would get it back in return, and our parent did allow it to take place, even when our parent beat us just as bad, boy, they are worst than animals, lol

am still feeling the belt pain and the rock that I have to kneel down on my knees,at sandy bank school from my principal,i think everyone know who he she is.

yes past student I still feel the beer bottle top on my knees I was beaten every day.there is so much sad story to tell of my days in sandy bank school I still have nightmare thank god to the older folks that used to sell food in the lane they all died now they save me lots of time they came to my aid until this day I am still suffering from the hit in my tummy I will never get better I do now that principal and I do feel your pain.

I still remember the first caning, for minor matters too.

He seemed to enjoy flexing the rod and smirking at my coming torture.

On contact, the pain spread to my toes and head top. Then there was more. Bawling not allowed. I started high school at 9.

The result; resentment, injustice, wonder at this education system and the resolve to remain invisible. One boy finally ran away after too much of this. Saw him a few years ago, self taught and employed with hate for the school and the sadists that were allowed their perrverted pleasure.

Then there were some that seemed to enjoy the pain. Or, was this the only way they could receive attention?

Turey you summed it up so well! Sandy Bank school Principals tortured students. May his soul rest in peace, but he will never be forgotten for all the licks he inflicted on students." stretch out your hand young man" to be tortured.

But do we not remember those teachers that inspired learning with patience and paid attention to the capacity of each. They never used pain or inspired anxiety.

Bless them, they blessed us.

I am so sorry that I stirred up some raw emotions by reminding some of you readers of the torture you endured. I took it for granted that such things did not happen in the years after I moved on out of the elementary system. Looks like I was very wrong.

We need some more comment on this it is good to talk.

Guess it will be like therapy for some individuals. People need to vent , so let them vent. I was cained once but I have forgiven the individual and has since moved on. Big shout out to all the teachers who took an interest in me and encouraged me to be the person I am today.

No sorry needed Raymond, some of us appreciate the opportunity to vent. These stories also act as witness to the actions of those that encourage fear, pain and humiliation. There will always be those that enjoy inflicting suffering, these unwell ones, should never be allowed near our children again.

me too can say for a fact that all of this is hurtful my sister and cousin as encounter some of this with that individual you all are referring to and its a shame to know that as kids going to school to learn we where treated that way I know that it has drove a lit of fears in the kids back then to the point where they never wanted to go to school a lot of them would hide and parents would think their kids are in school I honestly think that was abuse my two cents!!!!

The the cane, tamarind switch, the belt ( my teacher called it," doctor do good"). I got it at home too. That was popular form of discipline. I took it hard then but the truth is I am satisfied with by gains. Bless those teachers who tried their best with us. Bless those parents who flogged with love at the center of their hearts. Bless all those who have benefited from flogging.Bless any form of disciplining that works. Bless those who loss more than they gained. We all do not respond the same but we all need to be loved.

Thanks Ray for putting this tale out. so I will add my one cent. The main cause of these floggings illiteracy which is common in TB until this day. Back in the fifties and sixties fishing industry was the KING. Us boys never care or know the value of education. By age 16 we tend to head for the sea like young turtles. I never ever felt the cane because I was one of the bright boys. I got flogged with the strap a few times for fighting in class. On one ocsssion I was sent by teacher to cut Tamerine swith. The guy that got the first flogging fight me off. The teacher floggeg us both for fighting in class. The Principal was not in that day. The next day I went and complain to the Principal the reason for the fight and he call up that guy and did whip him again, so he got 3 out of that Tamerine swith. He is still around so if he read he will remember. It's since the last 20 years or so the fishing industry has depleted dramatically from overfishing,this has encouraged parents to pay more attention to the children getting an education. At least the 3 Rs. We the older heads should should try and give back to our community in any way we can. Let's put special effort on Sandt Bank School. TB the most beautiful set of people throughout Ja (with no apology) should never be classed as dunce.Lets see what we can do about it.

easy for u to say bowl your flogging was nothing compare to others.

I guess it's a case of who feels it knows it.I had a similar discussion with my daughter last night about beatings being inflicted upon children and I begged her not to beat her kids for any and everything because it can have serious repercussions.Her remarks to me was that she will beat their butts if they do not tow the lines with her.

We further discussed how some of us adults have since regret beating our children but we have to look at a our culture and see that it is something that was learnt. We grew up getting beatings (and some of us have even hated our parents for this).

My only wish is that the parents of today would shower their kids with lots of love instead of licks. Saying this, I think that they can apply a little slap on the hand to a child who is not doing what they are suppose to do, but to actually inflict welts and wounds on a child is just unacceptable.

It wasn’t just the principal that abused the students; some of the teachers did too I remember every one of them.
The only teacher that didn’t hit me was Miss Ditty, but the funny thing was they never hit their own kids.
To- day’s generation would surly hit them back then they would know how it felt, as they say what goes around comes around.

I am Jenny Reynolds Nelson,I choose to read the Posts on punishments in schools this was very painful,I have spent my life trying to forget some of the behaviors of adults.I attended a number of Schools Sandy Bank,St.Pauls,Craig Head and Black River and I was beaten in every one I could not inform my parents they thought this was O.k.so I cried a lot.I have spent my adult life advocating for the RIGHTS of others.Today whenever I am aware of abusive behaviors I take action.GOD BLESS.