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Down Memory Lane

Classroom punishment

We hear often nowadays of some student or the other committing suicide because he or she was punished by a teacher. We also hear of some teachers hitting a student in a fit of anger and damaging some part of his or her body. Obviously something is wrong in the staff-student relationship.

Many years ago, when I was a school student, there was classroom punishment too, like caning. But we took it in our stride. If we broke down and cried, we were looked down upon by the other students. So we kept a stiff upper lip and took the caning with a small smile, however painful it was.

There was something formal about caning those days. The boy stood with his arm stretched out stiffly and the teacher caned the palm in measured strokes. It was more like a ritual, and no one was much affected by this act. But sometimes the teacher allowed his temper to get the better of him, and then the caning could be painful.

I had a classmate, Vaithilingam, who was rather a foppish character, always showing off and trying to impress everyone, particularly the girls, or rather one girl in particular. This was Vijayalakshmi, a pretty thing full of bubbling spirits.

One day Vaithilingam was caught in some mischief, and the teacher, Mr.Sivasubramania Pillai called for an explanation. Vaithi, in order to impress the class, mainly you know who, gave a haughty reply which sent the teacher into a towering rage. He asked Vaithi to put his hand out. And Vaithi raised his palm much higher than necessary, which angered the teacher even more. And he caned Vaithi’s palm much harder and for a longer time than usual. Vaithi never flinched, and when it was over, he gave a small smile and wafted a side glance that was reciprocated by a tender look of deep concern and sympathy. The teacher seemed very much upset over having lost control of his temper.

When everyone had calmed down, the teacher continued with the lesson. He asked a question to the class, and Vaithi raised his hand. “Yes, Vaithilingam” said the teacher. And Vaithi answered the question correctly. “Very good, Vaithilingam” said the teacher smiling at Vaithi. And Vaithi smiled back, and all of us smiled in relief. That was the end of the matter.

There were other punishments too, like standing on the bench. We never could see how this was a punishment. When a boy was asked to stand on the bench it was a greater punishment for those sitting near him. For the moment the teacher turned to the blackboard, the boy standing on the bench stamped on his neighbours or kicked them. They hit back. There was a ruckus, and the teacher turned quickly only to find innocent looking youngsters gazing avidly at the board. Standing on the bench was more fun than punishment.

Another punishment was a rap on the head with one’s knuckles (Kuttu) which the teachers asked some neighbouring student to administer when a student was found to be inattentive.

One day some girls were chattering away unmindful of the teacher’s voice. So he gestured to some students to administer a ‘kuttu’ on one of them. But none of the girls noticed the teacher’s gesture. Finally a boy who had newly joined the school on transfer, and who didn’t know the conventions of our school, got up and gave a hard knock on the head of a girl. Everyone including the teacher was shocked. For in our school, boys were not supposed to touch the girls. There was tense silence in the classroom. Fortunately, the bell rang and saved all of us a lot of embarrassment.

Life went on, canings and kuttus notwithstanding.

( jvasanthan@sancharnet.in)

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