Indus Pakistan
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I was listening to Pink Floyd - Another brick in the Wall 1979. "We do'nt need no education" and my mind wondered to my school days.
My compulsory schooling began in early 1967 and ended in 1978. I then spent another 3 years in High School Sixth Form.
I must confess I hated school from my first day to about 1972. From having to eat the sludgy mash and few greens on the side because the school had no halal option so I had what was almost non existant vegetarian option. This always meant my meal was minus. Whatever was on the menu the meat was removed and I got what was left which mostly meant mash. I would add tonnes of pepper to just about make it palatable and sometimes I would end up sneezing with all the pepper flying around that would give my headteacher an excuse to take out his steel ruler.
Maybe because I was the only non English kid there the damned headteacher was beast to me. I got "caned" so many times that I can't count. Late 1970s UK went all civilized and corporal punishment was banned but it came too late to save my suffering. I give you one example of racism. In the toilets we boys got into competition as to how high up you could pee. Somebody reported this to the head. We all got grilled but I was selected to get the full punishment. This would involve being called to the head's room. I can still recall standing and waiting. I think that sadistic head enjoyed making you wait outside. Each second was an hour.
Then when you were called you were made to stand in front of the head. Hand out. Steel ruler would be aimed squarely on the palm of your hand. depending on severity of punishment it could 5 X. It would leave your hand stinging and bruised and would take couple of days for the marks to go away. I never cried because I was too embarrased but inevitably tears roll down your face which you quickly dried because you did not want the class to see that.
Then when you got the class you had just about composed yourself to look like nothing happened to make it look like were not "boverred". I got into lot of fights because the kids would say things. There was this huge fat kid called Micheal who kept annoying me so one day I jumped on his back wrapped my arm around his neck and did not let go until he begged to I let go off his neck because he could not breath. Mick became one of best my friends after that - strange as it may seem.
We were inspected first thing in the morning and anything slightly out of way with the uniform and it would mean straight to the head. We were forced to wear shorts and in winter in late 1960s and early 1970s it was lot colder than now. Temps like minus 10C were common in winter. I used to be freezing and when I got home first thing I would do is run upto the gas fire turn a about turn and reverse onto the gas fire. Then lift my feet and have the sole of my shoe facing the gas fire. My leg would be getting roasted and my feet freezing. Sometimes the rubber would heat up and give off that horrid smell and my mum would scream.
I also did lot bunking off from school around 1970. My mum went to hospital because of my brother and became very worried. My dad although highly educated was very harsh authoritarian figure and his answer to everrything was slap otr the leather Peshawari chappels. If anybody has been on the recieving end of those will know they could be used as torture weapons by CIA in Guantanamo Bay.
I bunked from school for almost two weeks. I spent my entire day idling about the town. One day a suited guy in a car saw me. He parked the car and I ran into this alleyway. He chased me and caught me. I was brought back into his car. I thought I was being kidnapped. Then he took me into this office. It was the council truency officer. I tried to give him dodgy details but to no avail. My blazer had the school logo so I was not going to get far. I was then brough back to school. I did not know who to be me more scared of. The school head or my dad.
Anyway predictably it ended with caning at school with the head enjoying saying to me "son wait till you get back home I have spoken to your dad and his waiting for you". When I moved out of that school about 1972 my life improved and I never bunked from school for rest of my school days. The best time I had at school was my high school days ...
Anyway when I heard the Pink Floyd song the video just reminded of my school days. I remember singing that song on a school trip to Skegness on the coach much to the teachers annoyance. In the video the kids and the grim background captures those days. These days children in UK have it easy.
So guys let's have your memories, good or bad from school days ...............
Ps. Just to give you an idea how times have changed in UK. These days if a teacher hit a child with his hand forget about with another object he or she would lose her job and be arrested by Police for assult on a minor. They would probably go to prison for such a serious offence.
My compulsory schooling began in early 1967 and ended in 1978. I then spent another 3 years in High School Sixth Form.
I must confess I hated school from my first day to about 1972. From having to eat the sludgy mash and few greens on the side because the school had no halal option so I had what was almost non existant vegetarian option. This always meant my meal was minus. Whatever was on the menu the meat was removed and I got what was left which mostly meant mash. I would add tonnes of pepper to just about make it palatable and sometimes I would end up sneezing with all the pepper flying around that would give my headteacher an excuse to take out his steel ruler.
Maybe because I was the only non English kid there the damned headteacher was beast to me. I got "caned" so many times that I can't count. Late 1970s UK went all civilized and corporal punishment was banned but it came too late to save my suffering. I give you one example of racism. In the toilets we boys got into competition as to how high up you could pee. Somebody reported this to the head. We all got grilled but I was selected to get the full punishment. This would involve being called to the head's room. I can still recall standing and waiting. I think that sadistic head enjoyed making you wait outside. Each second was an hour.
Then when you were called you were made to stand in front of the head. Hand out. Steel ruler would be aimed squarely on the palm of your hand. depending on severity of punishment it could 5 X. It would leave your hand stinging and bruised and would take couple of days for the marks to go away. I never cried because I was too embarrased but inevitably tears roll down your face which you quickly dried because you did not want the class to see that.
Then when you got the class you had just about composed yourself to look like nothing happened to make it look like were not "boverred". I got into lot of fights because the kids would say things. There was this huge fat kid called Micheal who kept annoying me so one day I jumped on his back wrapped my arm around his neck and did not let go until he begged to I let go off his neck because he could not breath. Mick became one of best my friends after that - strange as it may seem.
We were inspected first thing in the morning and anything slightly out of way with the uniform and it would mean straight to the head. We were forced to wear shorts and in winter in late 1960s and early 1970s it was lot colder than now. Temps like minus 10C were common in winter. I used to be freezing and when I got home first thing I would do is run upto the gas fire turn a about turn and reverse onto the gas fire. Then lift my feet and have the sole of my shoe facing the gas fire. My leg would be getting roasted and my feet freezing. Sometimes the rubber would heat up and give off that horrid smell and my mum would scream.
I also did lot bunking off from school around 1970. My mum went to hospital because of my brother and became very worried. My dad although highly educated was very harsh authoritarian figure and his answer to everrything was slap otr the leather Peshawari chappels. If anybody has been on the recieving end of those will know they could be used as torture weapons by CIA in Guantanamo Bay.
I bunked from school for almost two weeks. I spent my entire day idling about the town. One day a suited guy in a car saw me. He parked the car and I ran into this alleyway. He chased me and caught me. I was brought back into his car. I thought I was being kidnapped. Then he took me into this office. It was the council truency officer. I tried to give him dodgy details but to no avail. My blazer had the school logo so I was not going to get far. I was then brough back to school. I did not know who to be me more scared of. The school head or my dad.
Anyway predictably it ended with caning at school with the head enjoying saying to me "son wait till you get back home I have spoken to your dad and his waiting for you". When I moved out of that school about 1972 my life improved and I never bunked from school for rest of my school days. The best time I had at school was my high school days ...
Anyway when I heard the Pink Floyd song the video just reminded of my school days. I remember singing that song on a school trip to Skegness on the coach much to the teachers annoyance. In the video the kids and the grim background captures those days. These days children in UK have it easy.
So guys let's have your memories, good or bad from school days ...............
Ps. Just to give you an idea how times have changed in UK. These days if a teacher hit a child with his hand forget about with another object he or she would lose her job and be arrested by Police for assult on a minor. They would probably go to prison for such a serious offence.
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