For help, advice and discussion about stuff not related to aviation. Play nice: no religion, no politics and no axe grinding please.
#1649065
Due to my father being posted to Scotland, I found myself at High school in Stirling from 1975 to 1978’ where the belt was common place. I can’t tell you how much I am against this barbaric practice,. Some teachers never used it, or threatened to use it, but many did, often with relish. I remember one particular teacher who used to drape the belt over his shoulder, under his gown ( do teachers still wear gowns)? Any sign of misbehaviour, he used to slide his gown to one side to reveal the belt. He was feared and hated in equal measures. By contrast, I had another teacher, who never used the belt, but enthralled and inspired us with his teaching, and never had any discipline problems. Institutional violence against children is never the answer, and like FD, I can’t believe it went on into the 80’s. I am very grateful that my children never had to suffer the fear I had to endure.
LW
#1649085
lutonwho wrote: I have “0” grades and “Hghers” to prove it. :D


Ah, but did you get a Certificate of Attestation of Fitness ? (Since that required, inter alia passing Higher English, perhaps not.) From memory, I'd to pay a fee of 1 guinea to get the Scottish Education Department to issue to me this archaic document.

Bill H
#1649099
Miscellaneous wrote:..

I won't go in to how a Higher is preferential to an A Level. :wink:


I recall a Scots colleague who was most indignant that, in the early '70s, an England-based employer had recruited him into a lower-paid grade because he had 'only' a large bunch of very good Highers, whereas recruits from England, Wales and Northern Ireland with only 2 'A'-Levels (at any grade) could be recruited into a higher-paid one.
#1649143
Back in the early '70s, a friend of mine was doing a teaching degree at Queen's Belfast. Quite a tricky time to be in Norn Irn, so when he was able to do some teaching practice in England, he thought that it'd be quite simple.

At some godawful dump oop Narth, he was being subjected to a disruptive class. So he identified the ring leader and invited him to sit down and be quiet, or he'd regret it. He didn't - and promptly received a clip round the ear which had the desired effect...

A couple of days later, the kid's father turned up to complain. My chum merely said "Do come with me and see what I have to tolerate from your son and his mates".

The father was mortified - "Very sorry, sir, let me give you something to apologise - and I can assure you he'll be getting more than a clip round the ear when he gets home!"

Said kid was as good as gold after that day!
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#1649457
I am Scottish and I went to school during the time of the repeal of corporal punishment. For the majority of my primary and secondary education we were taught by a bunch of thugs who resorted to violence when their sub standard teaching methods either didn't work or were subject to question. This coincided with the first boom in the home computer era. In many aspects of that arena the teachers were clueless and the pupils were leaps ahead. The teachers who were suddenly expected to teach computer science were way out of their depth but used violence to silence anyone who would ask them a question they were unable to answer.
We had one particular PE teacher who would be the "Go to" guy for belting by any of the less well muscled teachers. He was know to have drawn blood on occasion on the 4th or 5th lash. I once dislocated my shoulder doing a somersault in gym. I was belted for not doing it properly, while waiting for the Ambulance to take me to A&E. I was belted at least once a week, usually for asking the sorts of questions that nowadays would earn you extra credit. The belt was used as a sit up and shut up device to quash independent learning. I was schooled in a fairly privileged area, in an environment where there was not the sorts of disrespect for elders described by others. In the absence of disruption, belting was used as a substitute for engagement.
This didn't improve learning, it created an atmosphere of resentment and a sense that the way to solve any disagreement was with violence. It certainly didn't improve relations between the staff an pupils, it actually made them so distant that they were incapable of spotting the real problems with some pupils like abuse.
When repeal came about, teachers were at a loss. Fortunately many of the worst left soon after and were replaced by a more educated cohort.
#1649486
My youngest son went to a "church" school (The local vicar was knocking -off a parishoner's wife, it later emerged )

Child was forced to eat every bit of his packed-lunch before being allowed to leave.
His delicate stomach meant that some things would make him gag....he'd spit stuff into his flask, hide food in pockets...... Finally, he plucked up courage and walked out and came home.
At the appointed hour his mother accompanied him back. The Headmistress was more concerned about the panic and disruption his absence had caused - his welfare was low on her priority-list. Mother gave a very candid appraisal of the said career- woman's lack of empathy with her charges.
A change of school followed rapidly and the child blossomed and thrived. At the admission interview, the headmaster was stunned at the story, stating that he'd never want any pupil so-pressurised that they were unhappy to attend, let -alone feel the need to abscond.

Pendulum has swung too far. Teachers must have some sanction against unruly pupils. Some are simply unable to effectively teach , or maintain any sort of discipline.
I think they keep their jobs by default.(lack of replacements)
Today's "education" staff are too busy jumping through hoops and attempting to make pupils do the same, that they can't actually "teach children according to their needs" (As I think the relevant Act states)
#1649673
Paul_Sengupta wrote:Perhaps what is needed is a limited deployment of very shouty Sergeant-Majors in such cases.


I did the shouty stuff but that can develop into a yelling competition with no good end. What actually works better is if you talk to them quietly - gradually lowering your voice and keep talking until they run out of puff. It took about 20 years of teaching for me to learn that...
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