Mass slippering for boys without PE shirts
A public row erupted after a PE
teacher slippered most of the boys in a fourth-year class because they didn’t
have the correct regulation games shirt.
As published in Evening Post,
Nottingham, 12 February 1970.
Picture credit: Sting
Pictures
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Just the type of occurrence that was common in PE in the 60s so no real surprise I suppose.
ReplyDeleteAs I mentioned elsewhere, this whole scene, setting and era is intensely similar to the movie "Kes" - released one year before the date of this newspaper report. High Oakham school is 35 miles from Billy Casper's school, serving a similar working-class area, and this real-life incident happens to a similar age group to the one Billy is shown in. Billy also got in trouble for not having PE kit, altho there are no slipperings in Kes.
ReplyDeleteReal-life headmaster Boyce bemoaning the teachers' "never-ending job" reflects Billy's headmaster Gryce moaning about the boys being "the generation that never listens". The real-life mother saying that school uniform doesn't matter because "he'll be leaving school soon anyway" reflects Billy's status as an "Easter leaver" and his hopeless attitude to his future and schooling's relevance to it.
High Oakham School seems to have had a more diligent student body than this newspaper snippet suggests. Photos show them in smart uniforms with shirt tie blazer and school cap, or winning regional swimming competitions.
The slippering scene in Birth of a Nation (1983) comes closer to the details of what's described in the newspaper article. And presumably what was happening sometimes in PE lessons up and down the country. But it doesn't quite share the same northern grittiness and hopeless tone that Billy Casper's situation, and the High Oakham school fourth form boys, both seemed to have.
Just like my school in the 60s many a sore backside with a slipper. Our gym teacher was very strict and once in the gym it was inspection time we had to have a snow white shirt snowwhite shorts with sharp creases in and plimsolls which was white with no marks on them we was not allowed any underwear if you had them on then expect the worse.He had a strong right arm and he made sure you felt the size 12 on your arse i got it quite a few times
ReplyDeleteWhy - what did you do wrong?
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