Storm over prefect’s caning of junior boy

 

Here’s a storm in a teacup if ever there was one. In 1928, a school prefect was taken to court after he caned a 10-year-old pupil who had not attended compulsory cricket matches.

The court case was withdrawn after a suggestion by the chairman of the magistrates.

But as they say today the story had legs and a ‘row’ ensued in the newspapers.

The headmaster Rev J. D. Day, perhaps a little pompously, issued a statement to the national news agency the Press Association.

He goes into some detail about the nature of the offence and the reason why prefects (but not schoolmasters in the classroom) are permitted to cane junior boys.

(In 1910, a prefect was successfully prosecuted in court after caning a junior. We saw that report here.)

As published by the Staffordshire Sentinel (Stoke-on-Trent, England), 16 August 1928.

Picture credit: The Magnet.

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