It wasn't the beating but the human element of compassion that you understood with respect to bullying. You became mature. Beating does not make the man.
Excellent article.

I agree with Sebastian. To each his own I say. Some spanking enthusiasts love to be caned and get a huge thrill out of it. It's in their nature and I can't be judgmental in that case. However, I would never allow anyone to do that to me. For pleasure (involving someone else not me) I can say, 'go for it', but for general punishments it's simply abusive when carried out far beyond the normal limits.

B

Indiscriminate beating by prefects was common in the Uk up to the mid sixties, and should have never been allowed.
It was explained to us-when we were sprogs we had to put up with it, when you grow up its your turn to dish it out. thats the way in this school it hardens you up to be a man.
We had a new headmaster as well who immediately banned all CP except by him and his deputy- so we were deprived of our dues or prevented from being depraved?

An eye-opening and fascinating account - thank you. I totally agree about the abnegation of responsibility in allowing prefects to beat (as illustrated, too, in Lindsay Anderson's film 'If'). But your experience of that caning shows also how important the intent behind the punishment is.

Like Patxi and TEM by the time I got to boarding school, beatings by prefects had practically come to an end. The head of school and his deputies had the power but in practice rarely exercised it, and after I had left, even that was removed. Having said that, there were plenty of other punishments they could (and did) hand out.

Canings were more frequent in the junior school than senior school, and I don't know of anybody who wasn't caned at some stage or other there. Our parents were quite relaxed about it, and obviously thought it was what they were paying for.

Unfortunately I was never invited to my housemaster's to listen to Sibelius, in spite of him having caned me twice in the Senior school!

A very interesting article.

Great recollection of personal history always makes interesting reading to me as one knows there are vital elements of truth in the article.

I often wonder just how much CP at school influenced me in becoming the switch I am today. When school and home carry the same atmosphere it becomes a very regular occurance in one's life and can get involved in major decisions in one's life.

I don't believe beatings make any person but at school age can certainly reflect in what they become in the future. For reasons not understood by me, that future can either be good or bad. To me there is no consistancy as to how it affects one, every individual is different.

I must respond to your question before I tell you how much I enjoyed a peek at your memoirs.
Punishment does not make the man and build a fine character.As you say, a great deal of it was meted out by power crazy teens. A child raised in a secure environment rich with good examples and opportunities to learn, grow, explore and develop his/her talents is what makes the responsible citizen..
I would say that your relationship with this antediluvian- and he build your vocabulary, also, - his guidence, thoughtful handlling of your personal delemmas during such a violatile period as adolesence accomplished that goal.
These days children come to school with serious issues- family members incarcerated, families split and parselled out to realtives, unemployment, teen parents who can barely look after themselves, drugs and alchohol readily available... What is corporal punishment given the hell that is their lives. Suspending corporeal nake sense in the light of our crazy society today makes just as much sense as it did 30 years ago. ..
Although I've read many stories on corporal punishment in British schools, this is the first personal essay I've read aside from Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and I am thoroughly intrigued. Girls, too have their bullying and pecking order and can be quite cruel, but boys, especially bullying boys who are weak and friendless, seem to be heartless. I think I will check out Churchill's bio.
Thank you for your thoughtfull reflections. The topic is one many of us know little about. You expertise and dedication to showing both sides gives me a clearer understanding. It was also captivating reading.

Although I didn't attend boarding school my experiences of a boy's grammar school in the early sixties certainly chime with those of Patxi. The cane and more often the slipper(a size 11 rubber soled plimsoll) were used frequently by PE and senior staff were used regularly and were designed to be painful and deter repetitions of the behaviour that lead to their use.
I realise it's an unfashionable view to hold but I think there is a place for CP in school if used judiciously and for appropriate lapses in conduct.

I would be quite happy to discuss my opinions and experiences with other subscribers

Thank you for your note which brought me to this memoir. You had much respect for this man that you did not wish to lie to him. The punishment was excessive, and I think that you knew that, both of you. If this had not happened, we would all be the poorer, because it has remained with you, inspiring your imaginative stories.

Interesting article and a good place to find it. Too many confuse fantasy and reality, less a problem in thought than deed.

Very well done, a personal memoir of a moment that was instilled for a lifetime, thanks.

Thank you Patxi. Your experiences were not unlike my own.

To bripuk, I would say two things against CP:

First, children can be tough. They try hard not to 'blub'. Even when they do, they can gain a reputation for taking beatings bravely which makes it necessary in the minds of administrators to make sure the next punishment is more severe. If the new punishment is taken well, it is seen as necessary to make the next one harder and so it goes on. Badly bruised buttocks were once a source of admiration for viewers and pride for those who bore these 'honourable scars'.

Second, I can't prove it but I have good reason to believe that beatings can damage people psychologically. Receivers live with the pain for much of their lives and sometimes their sexual lives are damaged.

In my view, if punishment is necessary the judicious application of some other kind than CP is always preferable.

What an interesting account of boarding school life. I do not agree with prefects whacking other kids though. I went to a Grammar School in the 1960’s and the cane ruled. Like you we never lied to a teacher’s direct question even if it meant getting caned. I got twelve canings at Grammar School and probably deserved them all. But the slipper was not used, all teachers used the cane. The main users of the cane were the ladies.