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1. Hands up everyone who did not get hit by teachers prior to the 1980's? Or their parents. This was the culture of the day.

   Posted By: c.d.

2. I was in a class once where the dear sister arrived back late from lunch She then asked who had spoken after the bell. Nearly all of us stood up. She then took out the brown strap from her desk and each one of us came up to receive our one stoke of the strap.She had a class of 60 She was always fair with no favourites and she was a great teacher.

   Posted By: Honoria

3. The most heartening thing about that article is Mons Ratzinger's conclusion that physically harsh managing of children would not be acceptable today. And his frank admission, that in those times, he physically hit children.
   It's a healthy opening of the past, in the light of present knowledge. There are other ways of handling children now which are firm in establishing rules and consequences, without physical harshness.
   
   

   Posted By: Marie H

4. For many years, corporal punishment was the norm in government and Catholic schools, though I know of at least three religious Brothers, from my own experience, who did not use corporal punishment.
   I think the British navy was the last of the services to give up flogging. And of course the high incidence of flogging of convicts in early Australia makes ghastly reading - some prisoners died from the punishment (often hundreds of lashes) that cut them to pieces. Hanging was the norm then.
   The British settlement around Sydney Cove (Circular Quay) was little more than a month old when Capt Arthur Phillip hanged a man (Barrett by name) for having stolen food (he'd also given trouble on the way out). There's a plaque on the walls of the Four Seaons Hotel (used to be called the Regent) that marks the hanging site. I hope the new history courses do not skip these dreadful events.
   Much of the coporal punishment in Catholic schools was due to the teachers trying to handle huge classes. Often the punishment was not viciously administered and everybody was friends afterwards but there might have been a bit of sexual sadism mixed in. I was unaware of that. It is dangerous territory and bishops should have taken steps to have had it banned. It also seems to have been counter-productive. There were valiant men and women (including teachers) then who tried to bring about a halt to school corporal punishment.
   
   

   Posted By: Mackie

5. I don't have a problem with corporal punishment and in many ways its a better alternative for wayward children who don't respond to anything else.
   And that's the problem now. Some kids won't respond any other way (think back to your childhood, would you have always responded properly to earlier warnings?) - in fact I'd bring back the stocks for certain crimes too.
   The problem was the way it was administered. I had no problem getting the 'norm' for something I needed to take responsibility/ accountability, as long as there was consistency.
   The only punishment that sticks in my mind was from a lay French Canadian for talking. He made me crouch in front of the year 6 class for over 40mins ... my heels and hands weren't allowed to touch the floor and I couldn't walk properly for 2 days so I was made fun of as well. Incidently, it still goes on today, actually yesterday in the form of pushups etc ..some teachers are simply bullies and out of their depth.
   However, 'bring back corporal punishment' - just remember, its all in the application.

   Posted By: Chris Saidou

6. Apparently the 'culture' of 'those days that hath gone past' are violence and abuse that continues to be defended and advocated by people such as Chris Saidou, sad.
   Violence is used when creativity to reason is bankrupt, knowledge is exercised scarcely, and power is exercise in a one dimensional form- like War and Capital Punishment (as how Jesus was killed).
   It all begins with a little impatience, a little less reasoning and rationality, and a little slap, to breed this seeds of violence and an unjust peace (called Obedience).

   Posted By: TJ Lawson

7. I'm sure we all got slapped, caned, punched anf strapped in the 1950's, by both Nuns as well as Brothers. However, we all seemed to survive pretty well. Of course I still have never mastered neat handwriting, and maths is a total mystery for me, thank goodness I have friends who can calculate for me.
   But I sure as heck know my Catechism! :-)

   Posted By: Stanley J. Harris

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