Book of the Month: Caning: Educational Ritual

 

Caning was an essential part of the established order at Christchurch Boys’ High School, New Zealand, in 1969 and was accepted by everyone. It had been for years and nobody believed the situation could ever change

Those were the verdicts of Joseph Mercurio, who spent a year at the school and published a book giving a blow-by-blow account of life there.

Below is a review of the book published in the Press (Christchurch, New Zealand) on 7 December 1982.

The Corpun website also has a detailed account of the book and a link where the entire book can be viewed online.

Published by Holt, Rinehart and Winston (Australia), 1975
First published in the US, 1972 as Caning: Educational Rite and Tradition

Traditional School Discipline

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