Boy couldn’t sit properly after caning: police informed

 A boy could not sit down properly or walk without a limp after he was caned at school, so his father went to the police. This from May 1959.

‘Boy could not sit after caning’

ALLEGATIONS by the father of a Brynmawr schoolboy that his son was unable to sit down properly or walk without a limp after being caned were made at a meeting of the school governors last night.

The master in charge of Brynmawr Secondary Modern School, Mr. E. J. Crewe, denied that he had excessively punished the boy.

Following representations by Mr. Crewe and Mr. Emrys Chivers, a solicitor representing the National Union of Teachers, the governors passed a vote of confidence in Mr. Crewe.

The governors further greed to decline a request by the mother of the caned boy to appear before them at a further meeting.

Raised with police

In a letter read to the governors the boy’s father alleged that his son had come home from school with “weals and bruises on his buttocks from the cane used by Mr. Crewe.” He also claimed that after the caning the boy was unable to sit down properly or walk without a limp.

The boy had been taken to a doctor and the matter had been raised with the police. The father further stated: “Unless you stop this sort of treatment I will have to take the matter to court for the sake of my child.”

Shout in class

Three of the governors, County Councillors B. Morgan, E. Robins and E. Curtis, said the boy had been brought to their homes and spoke of marks on his buttocks and back.

The governors were told by Mr. Crewe: “I admit one stroke of the cane on the boy’s buttocks, effective but not brutal.”

Mr. Crewe said he had heard the boy shout out in class, “I am the best boy in the class, aren’t I miss.”

He felt this was calculated to make class amusement and embarrass the teacher.

As published in the Western Mail (Cardiff), 29 May 1959.

Picture credit: Unknown

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