PUNISHMENT AT COORANBONG SCHOOL

Over about a 100 years  ago school was a very different place. The teachers were very strict .The punishment was very different to today's punishment and a lot more fierce than today's punishment. The most painful and frightening form of punishment in those days was the cane. The cane was mostly used to scare or discipline the children. The children were punished for both minor and major offences, some got up to six lashes. The cane was also used for when children were talking, muttering,  not knowing their times tables, bad spelling and writing, throwing rocks, hitting girls, punching, home work not done and turning around in class. These days our punishment is totally different to those days thankfully. Here is an example of a punishment book kept in 1888

Name of student Age Nature of offence Amount of punishment Instrument Date
W. McNally 12 Talking & disorder 4 strokes rod 1/4" dia. 9th July 1988
J. Hoffen 9 bad spelling 2 strokes

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P. McPhillips 7 Inattention 2 strokes

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C. Coleman 12 Unlearnt home exercise 4 strokes

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A . Brown 8 Careless writing 2 strokes

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J . Brock 6 talking 2 strokes

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A. McMullen 12 Impertinence to Miss Roberts 6 strokes

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