Those were reportedly special days, when "The Inspector" from the Ministry of Education was scheduled to visit the school.
These visits were apparently far more frequent and were treated with much greater dread than when I got to primary school.
So, those who can recall the preparations for these momentous visits, and how the principal and teachers would prep you for the occasion; and what actually happened when "The Inspector" arrived, share your memories with us!

If you were not liked by a specific teacher you would be given, the daunting task of picking up garbage.

This was surely a time when everyone was on their P's and Q's and very nervous, but not my little cousin Randy Buch. He was always an outspoken child and never afraid to approach anyone. I was told that upon the arrival of the inspector when everyone else had "lapped their wings" ,he walked up to the Inspector, looked him squarely in the eyes and asked, "A who you bee eeh?"

Good for you, Randy!
Any word on how the Inspector responded, Peeps?

Laughing,

The Inspector was fascinated with the youngster, exude a deep throated laugh, and then introduced himself to Randy. Feeling that he had done a good job, Randy ran off to class while the inspector turned to the headmistress and commented, ‘That’s a smart boy. I can see him turning out to be someone of worth’.

I am still singing praises to Teachers McLean, McLean, McLean, Smith, Ebanks, Bent for a job well done. Sure we were nervous and afraid of the inspector. Later on in life I met one of our inspectors, Mr. Betton (sp???) at the Ministry of Education in Kingston. Geezzz, I was so grown and cheerful when I was introduced to him. We had a long chat about the good old days. Saw him a second time at a funeral in St. Ann. By this time all my fear was gone as I went on with my life. But the memories are wonderful and would trade that time in my life for nothing in the world.

This is an interesting thread.

So what did the School Inspector actually do to instill such fear in everyone?

Eric,
Apparently a lot hinged on the report the Inspector made to the Ministry of Education. Negative consequences for the school principal could flow from an adverse report.
So, the Inspector put great fear in the principal, who did the same to the classroom teachers, who did the same to the students.
Kinda like the story of the husband who beat his wife... the wife beat the boy... the boy beat the dog!
I don't know of any particularly bad incident arising from these inspections. Perhaps others with more vivid memories of those times could help us out on that one.

ZC Thompson was always very anxious for a good showing when the Inspector came.
And anybody who knew ZC would remember that you did not joke with him!

Who can forget teacher Thompson, even though we feared him deep down we loved him.
I cannot forget when he used to take us outside on the track and order us to pick up the pebbles ha, ha, in todays world we would think that, that was taking the pssss out of us but we did enjoy it as it was a chance for us to go outside. I don't think anyone could try that now.
Nuff respect to teacher Thompson.

Is he still alive? I heard he was ill at one time. Remember his leather belt. That was a strong belt.You could not catch me being late for
school.

that leather belt left many of us scarred today.

that leather bealt really works on me for real my head was so hard thank you teacher thompson...respect everytime zc

jamdowngirl,
I hardly believe it was the belt that helped your 'hard head'!
That belt did a lot of bad to a lot of children. Many more would have done better at Sandy Bank school and would be far better off in life today if they were not so afraid of ZC.

I totally agree with you Onewhoknows. The teachers took their fustrations out on us; as a result, many children hated school and weren't too eager to learn.

Who was the other Principal before Principal Thompson and what was the method of disipline.

well mi friend who feels it nows it.......thank you zc

I totally disagree that the teachers took out their frustrations on us. The teachers disciplined us but I think that was when there was a disciplinary problem. I agree, Teacher Thompson was a strict disciplinarian and was rather harsh at times but at the end of the day, discipline was maintained
The Principal before Mr. Thompson was Teacher Lindsay.

I agree with Onewhoknows. Lots of days I did not want to go to school because of teachers who take out their frustations on us students. I remember at Newell Secondary School their was this teacher who had asthma and when she was feeling sick, she really used to take out her fruststions on us.

that is so true PEDRO i know that some kids in school were treated real bad just because you were of a lighter complection .

I have no doubt that the approach being used by the present Principal of the school is better than ZC's and some of the other principals who came before him.
Part of that stems from the fact that more is known now about the best approach to teaching and the development of young minds. So, some of them probably thought they were doing their best for the children. THEY WERE WRONG!!!
And it doesn't mean that the level of discipline in the school has to decline simply because the strap is not used as frequently as it was before.
By the way, a large part of disciplining children has to be the responsibility of the parents. It should not be left to the school!

I did'nt know that the belt was also used in the secondary schools. I thought once you left primary school that was it. I did remember hearing a school friend of mine saying that their punishment was standing in front of the national flag and repeating the national anthem several times.

I don't think we were treated harshly based on skin color or hair texture. That kind of punishment was based on the old slave mentality. However, I am of light complexion w/ wooly hair and never felt inferior next to my friends and family who had straight hair or who were of darker skin tone. That was not an issue during my time at school or thoughout my childhood in TB.

For many years I have heard accounts of 'extreme discipline' within the past school system, with one name continually being called. The guidelines of TB.Net do not allow us to post any messages containing negative statements against any particular individual. Therefore, we are not able to approve some of the messages which have been submitted in the last few days.

However, I continue to hear story after story of persons whose fear of punishment kept them from attending school, had them scared while at school, and disabled many students' ability to learn. This is just wrong, full stop, and I feel all those who have suffered, should have a chance to vent their deep seeded anger and frustrations.

Is there a way other than the TB.Net public forum where this can happen? There are many avenues for exchange from those who feel they've been abused. If they are not available in your local area, many sites on the Internet allow people to share their story and hopefully overcome the experiences. I feel very strongly that if one has been a victim of abuse, they should have a chance to talk it out and share their experience with others, as that is a major step towards healing the wounds.

To Canada, Wellbehaved, and Deb; I am very sorry for your experiences and am also sorry we cannot post your messages on TB.Net. Sincere and respectful thanks for your input as I am sure it was not easy to write those messages.

Now, I would like to end on a positive note and, therefore, would like to pose the following question to all.

Who was your favorite teacher and how did their teaching skills positively influence your life?

For me personally, Miss Pals, my 1st grade teacher. She was so full of love for 'her' children and never allowed herself to get ruffled. Her patience, understanding and quiet unassuming ways were something I admired. Next was Mr. Poat, my 7th grade teacher. I thought he was the coolest teacher. He let my cousin Lorraine and I stay in during lunch hour and sing along to Beatles songs while he played the piano. To hear rock 'n roll in a "Christian" school was pretty radical back then and I thought we were living on the edge! Looking back, this was my first experience at thinking 'out of the box' and that has served me very well over the years. Deep respect due to both Miss Pals and Mr. Poat.

I cannot forget my first teacher miss Mary Brown of a little private school in Manchester who taught me to read when I was 4 years old.We were dirt poor and she never charged us a penny. I went to England in 1957 when I was 14 years old and attended a Public school with over 500 boys. I was the only Black boy in that school and was always teased by the other boys.I was constantly in trouble for defending my colour and race.I had a wonderful English teacher by the name of Mr Guy.One day in class he made us read aloud a book.The book was about man going to the moon and finding a race of dark-skinned people who were far more technology advanced than people on Earth.I never forgot him for that boost to my self-esteem.Then there was Mr. Smith my Mechanics' teacher in college who called the whole class over to see the good job I had done with my project after experiencing some difficulties. No wonder I became a teacher and is in my 28th. year of passing on the nurturing and mentoring I received from the wonderful teachers I just described.

Strange 'eeh'. The thread was really going, a few praises of course and nuff criticism until it took a more positive turn; then, unfortunately nothing good to say about any of our teachers? I would like to pay tribute to all the teachers of Sandy Bank Primary School and Newell High who have helped to make a positive impact on my life.

Is it true that teacher Thompson is not doing well at all? {health-wise}

Putting a little fear in the students without abusing the school system is quite OK in my book.I'm glad today that's the way it was when I was going to school.There was respect for the teachers in those days but,in today's world the teachers are the ones being afraid of the students.
It is so scary to see the way our young children today disrespect not only their teachers but even their parents/grandparents/school mates.
Glad to be from the old school and was happy to raise my children in that manner so they can at least pass it on to their children.

I never ever abused my children just laid down the rules and they followed.Today they have thanked me and their father because they see first- hand how hard and challenging it is for themselves today to make sure their kids do not go down the wrong path because of all the bad stuffs floating all around them and the temptation/peer-pressure they have to put up with in school .Not all kids are alike. Some are strong some are weak so it is up to the parents to really do their jobs and do not leave it all up to the teachers to take their place when it comes to setting the rules in teaching respect and discipline.
I feel sorry for the teachers today and take off my hat to them "even though I do not wear one"
GOODD LUCK AND GOD BLESS.DO NOT GET YOUR BLOOD PRESSURES' UP.

I'll tell you what, I did have my bad experience with caning for no reson by you know how, smile, but I also had wonderful experiences with "Old Teacher" no other that Ms. Dittie Hamilton, she was my grade 2 teacher. I just loved that lady, she was a breath of fresh air, beautiful and always smiling at our little grade 2 faces. I also loved good ole Ms.PT and still do, however I spent only 1 week in grade 1 because Mrs. Thompson did such a good job with us at Basic school, we skipped grade 1.So you know what? I am greatful for those experiences, it helped build the foundation I know stand on. I left SBPS in grade 5 without ill feelings against anyone. Couple years ago I came across Teacher Thompson at the airport in Montego bay, my heart went out to him because he apparently had a stroke and was leaving to get rehab in Miami. So lets keep all our teachers in prayer, it takes a special person to be one.Most of us are parents now and you know the patience we have to have come homework time, so think of the teachers who are dealing with more than 20 kids at each given time. So our hats off to our teachers!!!!

Well said Ce Ce, the only problem is that when some of our kids are at home they are well behaved but once they are out of our sight the are as rude as anyone else, and when we hear about this we sometimes find it hard to believe if we believe it at all and often say 'a lie them a tell pon mi pickney'. Wish we had more children like your that would listen.

The six years spent at primary school are among the most important in a child's development.
Unfortunately too few benefited fully from this at Sandy Bank in my growing-up years. This was not entirely the fault of the school and teachers, however, as some parents did not play their part and some continue to ignore their duties.
Nor is it good enough for parents to say that they do not know enough to assist their children. There are numerous examples of parents who were illiterate and yet who saw the value of consistent attendance at school by their children and who insisted that they did their homework and who checked constantly with the school.
Happily things have improved significantly at Sandy Bank in recent years and I believe that more parents are getting involved as well.
So, all in all, I believe things are looking up.
In the meantime, the school and its teachers could do with some more community support. Likewise, the Basic school.
Time enough to go beyond the nostalgic talk and put some action into assisting these schools!

My FAVOURITE memories of my school days are surrounded by the ONE and ONLY Ms. Zane Ebanks. She is one out of a million, she knows how to treat a child properly unlike some teachers.She is loving,caring,understanding and a strong discipliarian.Ms.Zane made my days at school enjoyable that's why I spend three years in her class.I appreciates her alot but I don't think she knows that because I was a shy one and I guess I still am. I LOVE YOU!!

Thank you for such kind words "Shy One". I'm glad that I was able to make an impact on your life, thus making your school days enjoyable.

Fear, threat of pain and public humiliation are strange tools to use on the developing human.

I attended High School when The Ministry of Education introduced high school entry exams.

Previously entry could be arranged through the old boy connections of the colonial world.

Thus, Upper Saint Andrew and and Ghetto Yout began to see each other as scholars, athletes and musicians with the usual bullies and slackers regardless of domicile.

The cane was used liberally, I think some enjoyed the intense pain experienced when the lashing was done by a teacher skilled in the perverted art.

As some of you have posted, the greater damage was often done by a few teachers who dumped their frustrations on their charges. Others weilded their tongues as emotional whips.

I never could understand why the school system never encouraged feedback from students.
Not to foster squeelers and informers but to encourage the teachers themselves and to mold the curriculum to suit the needs and potentials of students.

Maybe a new Ministry of Education building and siting is now due.

Self cooling, staff maintained organic garden, windmill and photovoltaic electric generation scaled for the efficiently designed hardware. Earthquake resistant structures with water catchment, underground storage and surrounding and interconected lakes and streams. Indigenous and endemic trees and plants. Beautiful, inspiring and comfortable. Importantly, a demonstration of the direction that needs to be taken in land use, construction, energy tourism etc.

Changes at the central administration will inspire changes at schools and thus for students.

And, for me those that were real teachers will always be remembered with love and respect.

Ms.Z, do you have any clue as to who "shy one" is?

No, I don't. Do you? "Shy One" really has me thinking. I've been trying to figure out who this individual is, but so far, I haven't got the slightest clue. I am hoping he/she will let me know.

i rally like the words'shy one' use. mis zane was my best teacher at sandy bank primary and she now's love you miss zane ihaved a happy holiday.

i was in your 1999 graduate class

I still think Her sister was a great teacher- pleasant smile all the time always helpfull and friendly.Stane I still remember the licks form that belt.

How can anyone forget foulfoot?

I'm 47 years old and a pass student. My favorite teacher was Miss Madge Ebanks.she was a very loving, caring and sharing teacher and i still look up to her as a role model.I still get my hug from her whenever time i see her.Love you Miss Madge.
Fr: Baby face.

Miss Zane all the way. She was a wonderful teacher.She was loved by all her student.I was graduated in 2005. I will always love you Miss Zane.
Fr: naileater

Miss Madge- talk about classy- I still remember her in grade four eating her lunch.

Miss Ditty for me,

I was her number one runner in Henry House, also she was the first to discover my reading abilities, and placed me in with the "bright group" as it was called. It was there that I first relized my love for reading. I have to give Mrs Moxam much respect also, because she gave me the courage I needed to continue on. I was place 2nd in her class of "1986!". After that it was a constant climb to excelence for me. I will be graduating from A$T State University in 2009 as a Registered Nurse. This is my second degree, and I plan on attending med school in 2011. All the teachers at Sandy Bank Primary were very uplifting and did their best for the students, considering the financial backing the school receives. Much respect to them all.

PS Mr Thompson did not scare me, we developed respect and understanding for each other... : )

Mr Z.C. Oh he was a very good principal. he was fill with decipline. I will never forget that brown strap...Oh! I wonder if it's still around? I would love to have another look at it! not to feel a strike from it though, HA! HA! HA! obouy good old days.Love to you Mr Z.C. Thompson.

Oh ohh, past student! Yu touching a raw nerve again with the mention of that strap!
ZC had his good qualities. The use of that strap wasn't necessarily his best.

Mr Z.C. Thompson was a very respectful teacher.I felt that brown strap just once but it was for my own good.I just want to ask God to continue to give him long life and may his health be improve.With God all things are possible.
To Mr & Mrs Thompson, all the best for the christmas and have a blessed and holy 2008.
Fr: Florida

Hi All,

It is good to see that we had some good people to have inspired us to be who we are and was instrumental in what we have acheived as Individuals .

The ones that I must thank for where I am today are Mrs Madge, Mrs Pt, Mrs Ditty, Mrs Moxam they were extremly Loving Teachers and inspired me to be the person I am today.

Thank You for all you have contributed to my Life

Prudence

I think 'shy one' grat. in 1998. She is the person that comes to mind, I will not state the name incase i am wrong.

When was Sandy Bank Primary built?
Before that there was Sandy Bank Elementary but that was replaced by the newer school almost half-a-century ago, I believe.
Many of our parents and grandparents therefore went, not to what we know today as the primary school, but to the elementary school. The difference is largely in the name only though.
"Teacher Henry" (father of Glen and Desmond) was at one time the principal of that school, I understand.