Memories: A sadistic streak
Most of my teachers had a sadistic
streak. One known as ‘Pat’ delighted when caning the boys to stand on his toes
and come down on his heels on the downward sweep of the cane. He used to say
with a smirk that it gave him extra strength - A
reader of an Australian newspaper in 1946 reveals that he doesn’t much like
school teachers.
As
published in the Daily Telegraph (Sydney, Australia), 10 December 1946.
Picture credit: Generated by
Artificial Intelligence (A.I.)
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Another boy half bending down over a table for his caning rather than touching the floor.
ReplyDeleteAnother boy leaning on a table rather than bending down tightly and touching the floor.
ReplyDeleteA.l. doesn't have much imagination.
ReplyDeleteAnother boy seen from the front. A.l. doesn't seem to want to portrait boys from behind. Except there was one of Nigel Farage and friend propping up the bar.
ReplyDeletePortray, not portrait.
DeleteWow! What do the teachers and retired teachers that post here, think of this? Do they feel that they are one of the "lesser professions"? Not to mention some of the other commentary about incompetence, good pay, "moaning", smugness etc.!
ReplyDeleteIt's certainly interesting to see a slightly different perspective on sadistic teachers. Not a dramatic or poetic or exaggerated portrayal of a single terrifying headmaster figure, like some descriptions we've seen. But instead the suggestion that numerous teachers this person experienced, and by extension many or even most teachers generally, were sadistic and bullying. And that this added to how often they gave canings.
Certainly it's true that some of my teachers deliberately bully kids (even 17 and 18 year old kids). But I prefer to think of it as "a few" teachers, not most. Most of my teachers would never behave like that.
Unfortunately Lt RR Wallis doesn't mention more about his own background. (But someone with research skills could probably now find his military records?) But given the date, it's possible that he fought in the Second World War. And maybe resented the people who stayed back in Australia to teach?
Or even. Perhaps Lt RR Wallis in December 1946 is newly appointed to that rank after spending a few years (more than two, he'll remind you) at medical school. Which means that in 1941 or 1942 or so, he could've still been at school, being bossed around - and caned - by teachers who were unable to fight in the war due to bone spurs etc. Maybe that's why he's angry with the profession?