The Kid in a Cage
I heard a bizarre and incredibly disturbing story on CBC Radio today. The story went something like this: parents discovered that their son was being taught at school while being kept in a cage. They were understandably outraged, and when they confronted the principal and teacher were told that the cage is a time-out zone. You might have heard about this story too.
This got me thinking about my own upbringing, and the apparent physical abuse that some of my classmates endured at the hands of teachers and principals. I recently told Christine about my recollection of a certain Grade 2 student, who I won’t name, being tied to his desk with a scarf so that he wouldn’t move around the class and disrupt the other students.
Christine: What backwater school did you go to?
Me: Well, I went to Federal Public School in Kirkland Lake. You mean they never did this at your school?
Christine: Hell No!
Jeff: So, I guess they never gave the strap at your school either?
Christine: Jeff, the strap was banned in like the 1960s.
Jeff: Well, it wasn’t at Federal Public because I remember classmates telling tales of getting strapped by the principal. And I even saw the strap. It was right there, hanging in his office. Are you going to tell me I was imaging this?
Chris: Yes, you were imaging that.
Well, I was recently vindicated by Jeremie, a fellow northerner from Sturgeon Falls. He says the strap was commonplace in his school. His brother was even strapped. None of the other people I asked about this said the strap was used in their school. It must be a northern thing.
In 1988, I wonder if putting your hands on a student’s face and driving it into a wall was as common in Sturgeon as it was in Kirkland. I remember the incident distinctly. I even remember the student’s name. I recall how my grade 7 teacher was the acting principal one day, and how he manhandled a student that was sent to our class by the teacher. The teacher, who later became a principal (probably an abusive one), put his hand around the kid’s jaw and drove his head back into a wall. “What’s your name boy?” his barked. I don’t remember what happened after that, just that it never occurred to me to tell someone about this. I suppose it was still OK to put your hands on students back in 88. That day has stayed with me all these years.
Funny, but I regard that teacher as one of the most influential I’ve ever had. I’d probably tell it to him too – if he isn’t already burning in hell.
This got me thinking about my own upbringing, and the apparent physical abuse that some of my classmates endured at the hands of teachers and principals. I recently told Christine about my recollection of a certain Grade 2 student, who I won’t name, being tied to his desk with a scarf so that he wouldn’t move around the class and disrupt the other students.
Christine: What backwater school did you go to?
Me: Well, I went to Federal Public School in Kirkland Lake. You mean they never did this at your school?
Christine: Hell No!
Jeff: So, I guess they never gave the strap at your school either?
Christine: Jeff, the strap was banned in like the 1960s.
Jeff: Well, it wasn’t at Federal Public because I remember classmates telling tales of getting strapped by the principal. And I even saw the strap. It was right there, hanging in his office. Are you going to tell me I was imaging this?
Chris: Yes, you were imaging that.
Well, I was recently vindicated by Jeremie, a fellow northerner from Sturgeon Falls. He says the strap was commonplace in his school. His brother was even strapped. None of the other people I asked about this said the strap was used in their school. It must be a northern thing.
In 1988, I wonder if putting your hands on a student’s face and driving it into a wall was as common in Sturgeon as it was in Kirkland. I remember the incident distinctly. I even remember the student’s name. I recall how my grade 7 teacher was the acting principal one day, and how he manhandled a student that was sent to our class by the teacher. The teacher, who later became a principal (probably an abusive one), put his hand around the kid’s jaw and drove his head back into a wall. “What’s your name boy?” his barked. I don’t remember what happened after that, just that it never occurred to me to tell someone about this. I suppose it was still OK to put your hands on students back in 88. That day has stayed with me all these years.
Funny, but I regard that teacher as one of the most influential I’ve ever had. I’d probably tell it to him too – if he isn’t already burning in hell.
posted by Northern Voices at
9:01 PM
1 Comments:
My goodness, Jeff - I think I remember that time you spoke of - wow - something I'd forgotten about! was the person's name W.N. ? I think - God - the memory is kinda fuzzy! I hadn't really thought about the standards of care back then in a really, really long time. I hand't realized coproal punsihment wasn't permitted when we went to school - maybe it was because we were in such a small community - I don't know. I'm sorry the things you saw affected you so much - I never felt so threatened by the acts of aggression - perhaps because I was female - I don't know.
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