posted on August 23, 2008 07:38:58 PM new
Too lazy to change the channel, I happened to watch TruTV's The Principal's Office. Fairly interesting, it featured several principals with varying styles. One is decidely over-the-top. Two cases of tardiness: In Puke or Prom: he had a girl in school suspension for tardiness and became sick during the suspension. She asked if she could go home and make it up later. The principal gave her the choice: stay at school or give up the prom (she had already bought a $200 dress). She decided to stay and left the room to barf. Another tardy offender (who was late x 6 because he walked his girlfriend to class) was given the option of Saturday class or 3 whacks with the paddle. Huh? What type of person administers that punishment to kids? The kid had to choose the paddle because he had a weekend job.
[ edited by pixiamom on Aug 23, 2008 08:00 PM ]
posted on August 23, 2008 08:28:58 PM new
Pixiamom, thanks for starting this topic. It depends on the laws of each State?
I had to look it up - it was in 2004 in Canada that the Supreme Court banned corporal punishment in public and private schools.
When I went to school it was referred to as 'the strap' and it hung in the Principal's office and it was a huge threat that hung over us. I remember if a 'bad boy' got THE STRAP everyone talked about it for days.
When I was in high school some of those 'bad boys' were the ones us girls were mostly attracted to. I was always the obedient and quiet student with good grades and once I skipped a class in the afternoon and walked down to the lake with one of the 'bad boys' and he held my hand. When we walked back to the school another girl tattled and I was so worried both of us would get THE STRAP. A mean lady teacher confronted me in the hallway and I lied and told her I'd been to a dental appointment and she could phone my dentist if she didn't believe me - guess she didn't as I was always so innocent so nothing became of it but I was terrified. "THE STRAP!" I'd forgotten all about it.
posted on August 23, 2008 08:57:57 PM newThe Canadian school strap was generally administered to the hand, at least in public schools. Oddly, it was typically made from rubber belting (or rubber on a canvas base) rather than leather. The reader who sent this in says they were usually either black or red and made from 3-ply industrial transmission belting. Other readers brought up in Canada have written to confirm this.
The article shows a picture of a strap and according to the 1971 supply catalogue a regulation strap was 15" long, 1-1/2" wide, of good quality rubber and cost $1.50 ea
posted on August 23, 2008 09:38:19 PM new
Pixi: I did the same thing today! Too lazy to grab the remote, so I watched the first two segments of that show. Not sure it'll be appointment tv for me, but it was rather interesting.
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