Background
By order of the chairman of Governors
It has come to my notice that a large amount of corporal punishment is being carried out resulting in wasted time. I seek to reduce this. As from today parents are expected to ensure that their children are impeccably behaved at all times. Should it be necessary for a child to be spanked or caned the responsible parent involved will be expected to submit to a bare bottom caning. It is assumed that as parents have chosen to send their child to this school that their permission is taken for granted. Parents unhappy with this are of course free to withdraw their child from the school.
1 October 1956
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Miss Svenson was sitting in her office towards the end of the first week. She was not sure wether the new edict would work especially in the long term but had been pressured to give it a term trial and certainly after the first week there has been a reduction (actually to nil) of demand for corporal punishment although she was sure that would not continue for long. Boys and it is usually boys can only keep up good behaviour for a short time regardless of the intimidation that their parents may have used.
Suddenly Miss Svenson became aware of a kerfuffle and Mrs White a white haired teacher in her 50s who had been a loyal colleague for a number of years knocked on her door and entered with her hand attached to young Jonathan Prendergast’s ear. Jonathan was 11 years old and had been in the school for 5 years since his mother had started teaching there. He had been in the school long enough to know the rules.
Mrs White had caught him red-handed watching her and other girls getting changed and had also been caught using a screwdriver to make peep holes larger. This is the kind of behaviour which adolescent boys find extremely funny but everybody else is disgusted by it in particular the people whose privacy has been violated. This is not the first time that boys have been caught watching staff or girl pupils getting changed but Miss Svenson vowed it would be the last.
Mrs White let go of Jonathan’s ear and Miss Svenson asked him if what had been said was true – The giggles from Jonathan demonstrated that it was and she informed him that he was to receive an exemplary punishment. Jonathan who by then had stopped smirking and realised the trouble he was in was asked to wait outside the time was 2pm and an after noon assembly was due in one hour.
Mrs Svenson quickly summoned Miss Prendergast to her office. Brushing past her son Jonathan, Miss Prendergast was apprehensive about what had happenned and why her son Jonathan was waiting outside the office. On entering Mrs Svensons’s office Miss Prendergast was informed about what her son Jonathan had done, and his reaction when caught and his subsequent reaction which had satisfied Miss Svenson that he had in fact committed these acts.
Miss Prendergast had double loyalties. As a loyal colleague of both Miss Svenson and Mrs White she would have been equally disgusted by the actions of her son but she also wanted to be reassured that her son Jonathan had in fact done this. She opened the door and asked her son and his reaction convinced his mother that this had taken place exactly as her colleagues had said.
Miss Svenson outlined the punishment she had in mind which was a very sound bare bottom spanking in front of the whole school for about 10 minutes. She would use her hand and if necessary a very sturdy wooden hairbrush Miss Svenson had always been reluctant to punish in public as she felt that the mystique would go but these was an over riding need here to set an example to all the boys what would happen if they did something similar and therefore this first part of the punishment would take place in assembly within the next half hour. After assembly all pupils and staff were to be asked to leave the school quickly. Teaching staff would be on hand to ensure that happened. The second part of the punishment would be 24 strokes of the horsewhip which had been acquired from nearby stables.
At that point Miss Svenson reminded Miss Prendergast who had realised the trouble she herself was in that she had no option but to carry out a caning on Miss Prendergast herself. Miss Svenson reiterated that she did not enjoy caning adults but this was regrettably necessary and that the new edict from the Governors would mean this would happen much more often — she was saddened that her first victim was a respected colleague. She said that the caning would be carried out at 630pm to allow everyone to leave the building and accord Miss Svenson and Miss Prendergast some privacy.
Miss Svenson decided that both the second part of Jonathan’s punishment and also the caning of Miss Prendergast would take place in the gym over the vaulting horse. Bending someone over the vaulting horse is ideal for substantial punishments as it prevents the spankee from trying to put hands in the way and allows total control.
Miss Prendergast went red when told this and the realisation came to her what would happen later that day. Miss Svenson as the professional she is was kind and gentle to her colleague but stressed the the governors had simply given her no option. The time was coming for assembly. Miss Svenson put on her gown and entered the the school hall where 300 pupils were gathered in the front row were Mrs White and 5 girls who had been watched undressing and who were all feeling somewhat nervous at what was about to happen.
A hard backed wooden chair had been placed in the centre of the stage. Miss Svenson spoke for 2 minutes and said that she would not allow boys to interfere with the privacy of girls or staff by watching then get changed. The first part of Jonathan’s punishment was therefore being done in front of the whole school and the second would take place later that afternoon. Miss Svenson reminded everyone that they must leave immediately afterwards knowing that they would talk of little else.
As Miss Svenson sat on the hard backed chair — she called for Jonathan to be bought out. Jonathan was dressed in grey trousers and was summarily ordered to remove them and the white underpants he was wearing and place himself over Miss Svenson’s knee. As he did so he looked round and saw 300 people gathered to watch what would be his first public spanking. His bravado and cockiness had gone – It was 300pm.
The sound of hand, smacking against Jonathan’s bare bottom boomed for the next five minutes punctuated by Ooohs- Aahs and moans as well as occasional gasps from the watching students. Yes Jonathan deserved everything he was getting- everyone particularly the boys, made a mental note to behave themselves as intended by Miss Svenson .
After 5 minutes Miss Svenson stopped – her hand was becoming a little tender and she felt unable to do Jonathan’s bottom justice so asked a colleague to give her the hairbrush which was on an adjacent table for just such an eventuality. Jonathan, whose bottom had gone from white to pink to pillar box red and was about to go crimson gulped as the first sounds of the hairbrush reverbrated round the school hall. The reaction from the girls and Mrs White in the front row was one of both stunned silence and an inner satisfaction of justice being done. By the time the second lot of 5 minutes had gone Jonathan’s bottom had gone crimson. Miss Svenson stopped and dismissed everyone telling them not to linger and to go home immediately. The chatter was one of disbelief and shock- this would indeed be a deterrent to most if not all boys in the school.
Miss Svenson was approached by Miss Prendergast who had obviously realised as the afternoon went on what was waiting for her. She suggested that she be allowed to inflict part of the remaining punishment. Miss Svenson agreed after joking not to go easy on him and suggested that she give the first 6. The glance from Miss Prendergast indicated that if anything the reverse was likely.
By 430 with the school cleared Mrs White together with Miss Svenson Miss Prendergast and Jonathan made their way to the gym where the vaulting horse had been prominently placed. Mrs White was there to help Jonathan into position and to ensure he remained in that position for the duration of the punishment.
Jonathan was asked to remove his trousers and underwear and was then helped over the vaulting horse. His feet one side his hands the other he could do little but accept the 24 strokes coming his way. His bare bottom did recover a little in the hour since the previous hair brush pounding and the crimson had lightened a little to a deep red.- there were also notable white blotches which would not remain white for long. The sit-spot just underneath the buttocks had hardly been touched and would be the concentration of at least 18 of the strokes to come. Miss Svenson asked Mrs White to adjust her position by holding Jonathans hands and taking a step back which had the result of moving the target bottom upwards.
With the desired position having been achieved Miss Svenson handed the horsewhip to Miss Prendergast who said to her son that he will remember this thrashing for the rest of his life and let rip right in the centre of his buttocks with a force which contradicted her demure frame. The second and third strokes were similarly delivered just above and below the first and the final three of her allotted six seered into the white blotches turning them a deep red.
Miss Svenson decided that a minute break was appropriate for all concerned the initial 6 had been given with quite some force and it was important to ensure Jonathan’s well being. Miss Svenson then took up the horsewhip and flexed it through the air a couple of times to get its measure – she had used the instrument before but not for some time.
Miss Swenson asked Mrs White to take a step back to ensure that the sit spot was fully accessible and let rip first on the left side and then on the right. She then stopped to allow the strokes inflicted to register and the anticipation of the 12 to come to heighten.
Mrs White checked on Jonathan to ensure he was ok and apart from a few groans he seemed fine. It was decided that the remaining strokes could be given and these were despatched with a short break after the first 6. The scarring on the sit spot ensured that it would be a few days before Jonathan could sit comfortably.
Miss Prendergast had already made arrangements for a friend to take Jonathan home as she knew that she herself would hardly be able to do this or indeed comfort him later.
Miss Svenson confirmed to Mrs White that as Jonathan’s mother Miss Prendergast was shortly to be very soundly caned by her and invited her to assist but to leave immediately after the last stroke and Miss Prendergast had been helped from the vaulting horse. Mrs White who had of course had her personal space violated by Jonathan readily agreed.
Miss Svenson took a formidable senior cane and walked to the gym. Miss Prendergast was already there when she and Mrs White arrived. Miss Prendergast was asked to remove all her lower garments which she did quickly- having often been on the giving end she knew not to antagonise her punisher still further.
Mrs White and Miss Svenson then helped Miss Prendergast over the vaulting horse still in position from the horsewhipping of her son Jonathan. Miss Svenson flexed the senior cane through the air and then suddenly WHHOOOSH – the first stroke landed absolute dead centre – these would be given in groups of 6. The rest of this quite extensive punishment was completed – Miss Prendergast had found out what It was like to be on the receiving end and would do better to ensure that Jonathan’s behaviour did not get her bottom a repeat of this punishment..