Schoolgirls caned en masse

Goodness knows what heinous crimes the girls of the school I dreamt up last night had committed.

A long line of girls were in the school hall, each bending over touching their toes. There were twenty or so of them, one lass from each form – having been selected as her class’s representative by the drawing of lots. And each girl was about to receive six of the very best, on behalf of her fellow pupils – a scholastic variation of the Roman principle of decimation, if you like.

I pictured the girls in a classroom, nervously drawing papers from a hat – praying that theirs would be blank, worrying lest theirs was the one that condemned its recipient to a punishment. For the girl who drew the fated lot, there’d be hugs a-plenty. Her name would be recorded by the master or mistress concerned, lest a braver pupil offered to take her place, and she’d be instructred to report to the hall at morning break.

Totally implausible, I know – but I still think it’d be fun to speculate on the cause of their punishments. A riot? But then the ringleaders would be the ones being punished. Some serious offence for which the culprit had failed to own up (“so I’ll punish everyone if they don’t come forward”?)? Too severe, and too sorry a reflection on the masters’ ability to solve the crime,

Surely it’d have to be some form of mass action, a protest of sorts. All girls boycotting school one day – or milling outside the gates but refusing to come into the school grounds? A silent protest in lessons – each pupil girls sitting in class, but refusing to participate?

A blanket refusal by all girls to submit homework? The girls turning their backs on the Headmaster in assembly, giving him a slow handclap or standing silently rather than singing the hymns? Some form of collective protest during a school inspection or outside a govenors’ meeting?

See, it *is* plausible after all! I’m particularly liking the ‘refusal to sing’ option: two long-standing girls’ schools, newly merged against the wishes of both communities. The first assembly of the year; the headmaster asking them to sing the new school song; none of the girls co-operating. Mmm, certainly grounds for a mass punishment, methinks…

10 thoughts on “Schoolgirls caned en masse

  • 5 October, 2010 at 12:16 pm
    Permalink

    A dream no. For real yes. My school did it. A msater was caught in the bicycle shed by the headmistress with a 5th former [yes she was underage]. She was expelled. He was raised to rank of senior master and made head of the english and drama departments. It did not go down well with the other girls or their parents. Nor was the master prosecuted either.
    Lilyanne Rose

    Reply
  • 5 October, 2010 at 3:53 pm
    Permalink

    Ah, I prefer principled civil disobedience, though perhaps about something less outrageous than Lilyanne Rose’s account. That’s truly awful. Alas, not particularly surprising, but truly awful.

    But is it less appealing for the top to spank the entire school while secretly admiring the courage of their stance? Or is it more palatable to punish an insurrection over adolescent foolishness?

    Reply
  • 6 October, 2010 at 1:36 am
    Permalink

    Mass punishment is for when the true culprit isn’t known–e.g. a student breaks a major rule in front of others, but nobody will say which student committed the offense. Or, perhaps all student did something like a food fight or were too noisy when the teachers were away.

    Reply
  • 6 October, 2010 at 3:52 am
    Permalink

    @Freda Rance
    “It did not go down well with the other girls or their parents”: what a mild way of putting it! I suppose the parents kicked a hell of a row; at least that’s what would happen these days…or are you alluding to bygone days when the police were not immediately involved?

    Reply
  • 6 October, 2010 at 9:11 am
    Permalink

    I’ll make this horrendous truth even worse. The headmistress was married to a freemason [a high ranking one at that] so everything was hushed up. No the police were not called and if they were it went no where. But this tale does have a happy ending in that teacher and pupil got married once she was eighteen.
    Lilyanne Rose

    Reply
  • 6 October, 2010 at 9:39 am
    Permalink

    Hi Indy
    Yes this horror unfortunately is true. We humans know how to treat each other badly and with no respect across all walks of life. This is only a glimpse of what went on. The reality would make an excellent horror movie.
    Lilyanne Rose

    Reply
  • 6 October, 2010 at 5:22 pm
    Permalink

    Lilyanne – scary stuff. Sometimes I read things that make me glad rules (in r/l) for some things have been tightened up so much…

    Reply
  • 6 October, 2010 at 5:43 pm
    Permalink

    Hi Abel
    It is but its gone too far the other ways and we are now ruled by mini tyrants. Being a parent today isn’t easy. My son came home from college the other day and said his teacher was laying down the law on smoking and how bad for your health it is. When he pointed out that she smokes and was therefore setting the students a bad example she wasn’t happy but agreed with him. We all should be aware of ourselves and what example we set especially to our younger ones. My mum always said that honesty was the best policy and I don’t disagree. What do you think.

    Reply
  • 7 October, 2010 at 3:04 am
    Permalink

    @Abel
    Where is the “scary stuff” related by Lilyanne, please?

    Reply
  • 9 October, 2010 at 7:22 pm
    Permalink

    Regarding Lilyanne’s account, something similar but much more serious happened at a school a relative of mine attended. In that case the school was paying off the parents of the numerous underage victims, avoiding prosecution and scandal but of course perverting the course of justice in the process. One wonders how management types can get their priorities so dreadfully skewed.

    Truth be told I’ve heard a lot of these tales over the years, and I get the feeling that until recent years there was a culture of impunity in many educational institutions. That plays very nicely as a scene (Abel’s one above is a good example) but not so well in r/l.

    On a cheerier note, another option is the theft of one of the headmistress’ prize possessions, say a rare book or even a particularly nasty hairbrush or cane. Until the culprit returns the item – or is dobbed in by a classmate – random selections of girls will continue to be caned at regular intervals.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *