Memories Of School Days

86GTS · Guru

Memories Of School Days

Dougwe · Chief one feather

Funny you talk about school days 86. Only last night talking to my youngest daughter, now in her early 40's, the subject came up during an update of my youngest grandson attending transition days from Kinda to Primary school. My older grandson, 7, goes into grade 2 next year and is worried about the male teacher he is getting next year after 2 female teachers, who in the grandson's words is, "Too tuff". Probably because he and his mate are a couple of stirrers and not quite the class clowns but not far off. I think he might get that from me biggrin

I told her about when 2 mates and myself, known as the Three Stooges around the school decided to enter an area banned to students due to thistles growing there. Now that was just an invitation for us 3 to go in and get a thistle each and in our wisdom slapped a couple of girls around the legs. We would have been locked up today. Well, the following Monday morning at general assembly the 3 of us were called up to the 'stage'. The headmaster told everyone what we had done then gave us all 1 cut of the strap in front of the general assembly including parents standing around the back.

The following day in class my class teacher Mr..... called me out in front of the class and gave me 1 cut of his barber strop on each hand then asked what hand I write with and gave me an extra 1 on that hand. This happened each morning for the rest of the week. At the end of the week, he asked me if I had learnt my lesson? Smart A me said "If I didn't it was his fault because he is my teacher" Ouch, again. I was only in grade 3 and couldn't understand the fuss.

It's about the only thing I remember about grade three hmm

That mongrel teacher picked on me the rest of the year. I was a much better boy the following years. I don't know if it was because I learnt or a change in teachers or one of the mates left the school.

Blues Man · Guru

86GTS wrote:
I thought that a thread like this might be entertaining, here are a few of my school days memories.
I went to Glen Waverley Heights Primary School on the corner of Springvale & High Street Rds. On a very hot Summers day during our lunchtime, the night man's truck had an accident which caused it to roll over right outside our school. This caused many of the doors to open releasing loaded dunny cans onto the road. The smell was horrific, clouds of blowflies eagerly lapped up the feast as we all looked on in amazement.
During a cricket match against another school I was batting & i hit a glorious six that sailed straight through the headmaster's office window. I ended up in his office, receiving a severe reprimand. I still think that it was a great stroke.
My secondary education was at the all boys school, Syndal Technical. Being an all boys school it was quite rough, made even rougher by the fact that there was an attempt to include boys from the nearby Tally Ho Boys Home. These students were basically bullies & thieves, although looking back many of them had probably had a hard life through no fault of their own.
Our school had Huntingtower, a private girls only school adjoining it. Us boys used to gather on the boundary leering at the girls like caged animals, hoping to get a glimpse of some female leg. Once a year we had a social dance & our school invited their girls to it, it was an annual event that we really looked forward to. I played guitar in a band & I can remember that just after we'd finished playing ''Gloria" a girl sat on my lap for my first real smooch. I can also remember dancing with three girls to ''Wild Thing'' by the Troggs.
We used to smoke behind the shelter shed & one day during class Parker one of my best mates was playing up & got called out to the front of the class by the teacher. He was told to bend over so that the teacher could wack him with a three foot long wooden blackboard ruler. WACK on Parker's arse, igniting a box of matches in his back pocket. Smoke billowed as the teacher tried to put Parker's backside out.
As I said it was a tough environment. In my last year at the school one of the Tally Ho Boys, a big strong one had a diminutive teacher on a hallway floor strangling him to death. As the teacher began turning blue with his eyes almost popping out of his head, four of us managed to get the maniac assailant to release his grip. We received no thanks at all.
I can remember ''holding on'' all day because the doors of the toilet cubicles had all been removed due to students doing ''art work'' all over the walls. No-one was game to drop their dacks & sit on the porcelain (the seats had been removed too). One time walking home I had to duck into an empty paddock with long grass to go to the toilet.
I recently discovered a Facebook page for ex-students but didn't join it.
Have you got any memories that you would like to share with us?

-- Edited by 86GTS on Saturday 26th of November 2022 07:56:31 AM

Dead set 86 GTS it almost sounds like my old school days. Great memories. biggrin

Craig1 · Guru

Seeing how many bottles of left over milk could be drank, in the quickest time, about grade 3 primary

rgren2 · Guru

I wasnt too smart, I spent about 44 years at school.

Roy E · Senior Member

86gts and Dougwe, love your tales from school. I won't relate some of my funny or lewd co-ed school tales as I'm embarrassed by them.
Getting the strap or cane then wasn't the scariest thing; my parents finding out about it was.
cheers,
Roy.

86GTS · Guru

Craig1 wrote:
Seeing how many bottles of left over milk could be drank, in the quickest time, about grade 3 primary

We used to carefully remove the foil milk bottle tops & put them between the ends our two longest fingers.

We'd flick them, they flew like a Frisbee spinning & they would sometimes hover like a flying saucer.

Craig1 · Guru

Then get a " dumb " kid to hold onto the spark plug lead when it was mowing day.

Mike Harding · Guru

I loathed school, all of it, and could not wait to leave as soon as it was legal for me to so do.

Bobdown · Guru

rgren2 wrote:
I wasnt too smart, I spent about 44 years at school.

Best 5 years in grade one...eh Rod

rgren2 · Guru

Bobdown wrote:
rgren2 wrote:
I wasnt too smart, I spent about 44 years at school.
Best 5 years in grade one...eh Rod

Most of them in high school, still having bad dreams about it.
Did meet some great kids though, and am still in contact with some. Only ever met one kid who I would class as evil, a truly horrible nasty person, his siblings and parents were truly wonderful people. I believe that he was responsible with another for the body found by the cleaners before school.

Cupie · Guru

In my days - the late 1940's & 50's - they didn't use a strap but sent us down to the headmaster's office where we stood in a line waiting in turn for our taste of the cane .. a long piece of perhaps 3/8 inch lawyer cane.

It was said that rubbing your hands with alum would cause the cane to break. Sometimes it did and sometimes not. I tried it a lot.

The worst was when the ironically named Mr. Cutler would strike the fingertips on the down stroke then flip the cane back up & get you on the knuckles. He had it down to an art.

But it has its 'good' bits too. If you had Brian xxxx in your punishment group, he was sure to provide entertainment. Poor Brian couldn't bear to keep his hand outstretched waiting for the slash of the cane & would pull it back just before it struck. This seemed to go on forever with Mr Cutler getting increasingly angry & us all trying not to laugh or yell out words of encouragement to the participants. But then when he finally managed to keep it there & got wacked, poor Brian would let out a banshee yell & hop around on one leg wringing his hand or putting it between his legs to deal with the pain. It was fascinating to watch him get the max .. 6 cuts.

All a bit different to most of us who tried to be stoic about it all and display exactly no reaction to the process, keeping the hand outstretched from the first cut till the last, staring fixedly at the perpetrator & uttering not a sound. The upstroke was the worst to handle & I suspect that MrCutler had developed that technique just to deal with our refusal to withdraw the hand after each cut.

86GTS · Guru

Interesting strap techniques there Cupie.
We had a very large, red faced, bull necked teacher that had a huge strap made of lino.
Instead of facing side on to him while using it you faced him full on.
The strap used to go right up your arm making all the veins in your arm stand out right up to near your elbow.

Magnarc · Guru

This thread has brought back some memories for me. We had an art teacher who I swear was a relative of the Marquis de Sade. He kept three canes in the corner, a thin whippy one about four feet long, another that was thicker, and a monster that was as thick as your forefinger. The lad that was selected for punishment, (usually for talking when forbidden) would be told to fetch the cane that he decided he would use, and he would lay in with gusto.

A couple of the lads decided to inflict some measure of retribution. When he was on playgound duty, after he had told everyone to go back inside, he would go into the toilet, which was a very simple construction, no roof and about six foot high walls, and relieve himself before going back in. The boys put a bucket of cold water behind the wall and waited for him to get playground duty.

The day duly arrived and the two miscreants went behind the wall and waited for their opportunity. He blew the whistle and when the others went back to class, he goes in to the toilet. The bucket was duly tipped over the wall but, the boy doing the tipping accidently also let go of the bucket. The lads ran like crazy to get back inside to the sounds of some very unteacher like words emanating from the bog.

Now, as you all will know, the buckets were made from something much stronger than plastic, and, in addition to the soaking, he also sustained a rather nasty cut on his head.

It is common knowledge that kids of the age, (13 to 15) take great delight in dobbing in someone, and this case was no different. The boys were hauled up before the head the following morning to receive their just desserts. the result was six on each hand and being told that they were lucky that the Police were not invloved.

How is it that I have such a detailed knowledge of the affair?? I'm sure that you all will reach the same conclusion.

Dougwe · Chief one feather

Good to read there must have been some other naughty boys around biggrin

Craig1 · Guru

Our grade 1 & 2 Primary teacher would make you stand on the desk, so she didnt have to bend over. Whack behind the knees with the ruler edge. Her two daughters were in the same classes, they got a few as well.

Found out years later her husband used to give her more than a few black eyes, wondered why she wore the sunnies.

-- Edited by Craig1 on Sunday 27th of November 2022 01:34:18 PM

86GTS · Guru

As an all boys school we were delighted to get a new English teacher on her first posting. Apparently she had won the ''Miss Monash University'' beauty contest, she was a long legged stunner.
The teachers table out the front was on a platform about 6 inches higher than the rest of the classroom floor. Being the mini-skirt days every guy in the class would jostle for the prime viewing position of front row centre.
Spectacular views were had by many. I think she knew what was happening actually.

I was a rather large lad that had put on an early growth spurt. We had a smart arse ex-navy physical education instructor who was quite cruel. One day he had everyone take turns of putting boxing gloves on & going a round against him.
He got carried away, inflicting some real pain on quite a few of the class. When it came to my turn he started to lay into me with gusto but I threw a beautiful lucky punch that landed right between his eyes, setting him on his heels & bloodying his nose with his eyes watering.
Time to put the gloves away now boys. The story circulated around the entire school, making me a legend for a week or so.

-- Edited by 86GTS on Sunday 27th of November 2022 02:45:57 PM

Mike Harding · Guru

Magnarc wrote:
The boys were hauled up before the head the following morning to receive their just desserts. the result was six on each hand and being told that they were lucky that the Police were not invloved.

Why is it that the police may be involved when children assault a teacher but have no interest when a teacher assaults children?

Corporal punishment is, and always was, an utter disgrace upon the adults involved. If you cannot persuade people to follow without beating them then you have no right to lead.

Magnarc · Guru

I agree with you Mike. but that was how it was in the old Dart in those days. It was seen as the "norm". fortunately for me it does not appear to have done any harm.
Others might think differently!!!!!!

86GTS · Guru

Magnarc wrote:
I agree with you Mike. but that was how it was in the old Dart in those days. It was seen as the "norm". fortunately for me it does not appear to have done any harm.
Others might think differently!!!!!!

It didn't do me any harm at all, I went on to gain a good education & an interesting, rewarding job.

My advice to Mike would be, dont be so precious about something that occurred over a half a century ago.

You spend too much time alone dwelling on things that really don't matter to the majority of people.

Sad really, but life goes on.

As the saying goes:

-- Edited by 86GTS on Sunday 27th of November 2022 07:51:31 PM

Whenarewethere · Guru

Cupie wrote:
poor Brian couldn't bear to keep his hand outstretched waiting for the slash of the cane & would pull it back just before it struck.

I remember one student pulled his hand back but the second time he didn't. The teacher for the second swing of the cane simply lined up the cane with the students wrist. He ended up in hospital with coming out his wrist. Another student in hospital with broken knuckles from blackboard duster. Torn ear from twisting.

Once I got caned for something I no involvement or knowledge of. I got even by turn taps off so no one could turn them on. Must have cost a bloody fortune in plumbers. I kept doing it for a very long time.

Mike Harding · Guru

86GTS wrote:
My advice to Mike would be, dont be so precious about something that occurred over a half a century ago.

86GTS:

I doubt I'll ever feel I need advice from you.

86GTS · Guru

Mike Harding wrote:
86GTS wrote:
My advice to Mike would be, dont be so precious about something that occurred over a half a century ago.
86GTS:
I doubt I'll ever feel I need advice from you.

I'll offer you some more advice, go & see a doctor about your MDD.

Possum3 · Guru

You catch more flies with honey than vinegar - suggesting major mental disorder (M.D.D a mental condition characterized by a persistently depressed mood and long-term loss of pleasure or interest in life, often with other symptoms such as disturbed sleep, feelings of guilt or inadequacy, and suicidal thoughts. Also called major depression.)

Play nice.

86GTS · Guru

Possum3 wrote:
You catch more flies with honey than vinegar - suggesting major mental disorder (M.D.D a mental condition characterized by a persistently depressed mood and long-term loss of pleasure or interest in life, often with other symptoms such as disturbed sleep, feelings of guilt or inadequacy, and suicidal thoughts. Also called major depression.)

Play nice.

Believe it or not, I was being nice, I was going to recommend Beyond Blue.

dogbox · Guru

i can remember some teachers both male and female that when you look back ,were more than a little sadistic and really enjoyed dishing out the strap or the cane ,even the black board pointer and one even had a fetish for ping pong batts.

school use to have sports days in the summer and ice cream was a treat ,the ice cream was delivered in boxes packed in sheets of dry ice .
being clever little dicks we scavenged the dry ice a put it in the toilets , someone seen the white smoke assumed it was a big fire, the fire brigade showed up end of sports day. waiting for the punishment, an knowing what was to come was probably worse than the actual punishment

-- Edited by dogbox on Monday 28th of November 2022 03:59:16 PM

landy · Guru

We had a very kind Gardening teacher. If you turned up for his class without a ruler he would happily lend you one for the period.
All you had to do was hold out your hand out palm up and he would whack you across the hand with the ruler until you caught it.
Most of us learnt fairly quickly not to pull our hands away so as to catch it on the first hit. Others were slow learners.

86GTS · Guru

I still have some of the items that I made at secondary school, a wooden pencil box from woodwork classes, a spirit level from fitting & turning & two biscuit shape cutters from sheet metal work along with a hammered copper fruit bowl.
When we were first married we used a coffee table & book case that I'd made in woodwork.
One of the classes that everyone enjoyed was art/pottery. The entire walls, ceiling & windows of the pottery room were covered in dried clay balls that we'd thrown at each other. It was a bit like paint ball.
Everyone enjoyed fitting & turning until we were made to wear hair nets while operating the machinery, it was back in the long haired Beatle days.

peter67 · Guru

Got caught smoking at high school up a tree with several other puffers. It was a very leafy tall tree but if you stood directly under the tree you could see all the way up to where we were sitting. It was a terrible moment in time when the dulcet tones of the headmaster (ex boxing champion) floated up with our names and a wish to see us first thing in the morning in the principals office. Frantic overnight phone calls between us all, trying to come up with a story that might mitigate our circumstances to no avail. Since we had time to prepare for six of the best on the bum I wore three pairs of underpants under my thick woollen school shorts the next day and following a nervous wait outside the principals office with the others I was summoned first. Six thundering strokes later I limped outside feeling quite good about my plan as the rest staggered out in various hunched over agonising postures. Grinning from ear to ear I explained what I'd done and how well I felt by comparison.

It was awful to learn that through the headmasters open office window he had heard me bragging. The recall, and total strip down, for the second six of the best will stay with me till the day I die.

Mike Harding · Guru

I am truely appalled that many of you seem to see the beating of children as something with an aspect of levity to it.

I see it purely as an act of bullying and brutality.