Last Friday afternoon, 3.30pm: I’m sitting in a Cafe Nero enjoying a hot chocolate. Two delightful young ladies arrive at the next table.
“I had Latin today – my last lecture.”
“That’s good. Are you doing it again next year?”
“No. I mean, if i get told I’m going to get whacked with a ruler again…”
“What?”
“He used to teach in the times when they could punish the pupils. He always says, ‘If only I could use the ruler on you, you’d learn so much better.'”
Oh… my… goodness. I’m not sure whether they were studying at the local Uni or the nearby sixth-form college. Whichever, I think I want a job there teaching Latin…
(And I promise this is absolutely true; I typed the discussion verbatim into my phone as soon as I’d recovered from the shock of what I’d just heard!)
I think it’s something about Latin teachers. Mine was also rather old school, though in all fairness I don’t remember him threatening us with rulers. Smoking in class on the other hand…
Treasure this moment, because in another few years all of the teachers who were around when corporal punishment was legal will have retired.
@Elaine: Latin has fallen out of favour these days, so I think being just a tad old fashioned comes with the territory.
But Abel, you wouldn’t actually be able to whack them – that’s taking away half the fun!
And, of course, you’d have to learn some Latin! “Hae puellae vindicandi sunt”…
Of course I am sure you already know that Vindicandi means “to punish with a cane”…a Candi cane, of course.
Thanks for all of the comments
Reminds me of my old school Latin master, teaching us one particular grammatical rule using the phrase: “They boy who had been caned asked for a cushion.”