Corporal Punishment by CH Teaching staff

[jhopgood]

Definitely not the same 'Hewitt'.

R. Hewitt's subject was English, both Lit. and Lang. I believed he played rugby for The Harlequins. As far as I'm aware, he wasn't at CH for any great length of time

If he is the person I am thinking of, then he also tried to teach some of us Russian. After "A' levels. I think.
I have probably mentioned it before, but he was always late for the class, which took place after the morning break in Pop Massen's classroom at the end of the Maths block.
One day at about 11.05, we gave up on him and one by one, went downstairs and back to house via the quarter mile.
As I left, I noticed him standing under the arch, watching us all leave.
The next week, he arrived before 11.00, (the class started at 10.55), but nothing was said at all.
CH seemed to give introduction course like that. I seem to remember J C Todd trying to teach us modern Greek.

[michael scuffil]

Definitely not the same 'Hewitt'.

R. Hewitt's subject was English, both Lit. and Lang. I believed he played rugby for The Harlequins. As far as I'm aware, he wasn't at CH for any great length of time

If he is the person I am thinking of, then he also tried to teach some of us Russian. After "A' levels. I think.
I have probably mentioned it before, but he was always late for the class, which took place after the morning break in Pop Massen's classroom at the end of the Maths block.
One day at about 11.05, we gave up on him and one by one, went downstairs and back to house via the quarter mile.
As I left, I noticed him standing under the arch, watching us all leave.
The next week, he arrived before 11.00, (the class started at 10.55), but nothing was said at all.
CH seemed to give introduction course like that. I seem to remember J C Todd trying to teach us modern Greek.

Surely RA Hewitt didn't teach Russian? And also, RAH was almost pedantically punctual. I suspect you may be thinking of Biddick, a lazy freeloader if ever there was one, who did teach Russian, and was eventually eased out.

Hewitt also taught history (in fact he mainly taught history). His lessons consisted of dictated notes. Punctiliously prepared, but stiflingly dull.

[michael scuffil]

Corporal punishment at CH was a form of sexual gratification and had very little to do with chastisement. It was a prime source of aggressive sexual satisfaction and it is directly linked to the culture of sexual abuse that occurred and the issues with the school not just in my time but for some 32 years and which I am now able to confirm, occurred for at least 40 years and continued to 2014.

If you think the two issues of Corporal Punishment and Sexual Abuse are different then think again.

As you will gather from reading this thread and others, I agree with you *almost* entirely. I would amend the first line above to change 'very little' to 'in many cases not very much'. Corporal punishment was the norm in the country at the time (including at my council primary school, where it was far more frequent than at CH), and I think some teachers thought they had to administer it on grounds of solidarity, or because they genuinely thought it was salutary. For example 'Killer' Fry, an altogether decent man, got his nickname because he thrashed three boys for giggling during house prayers. I am sure he sought no gratification. I don't think John Page did either. And I'm sure this applies to others, too (including Seaman).

[robert totterdell]

Golfer

Corporal punishment was simply the Chastisement of the time, this according to what Guy Perricone wrote to me. It was nothing of the sort. For many it was direct physical abuse for gratification, being sexual or sadistic, and became very influential in the recipients 'worldview' for that individual's life.

Churchill was beaten daily at Harrow because his Headmaster didn't like the views of his father Randolph who was in Parliament. Many say that is what made Winston so strong but some say that is also why he ignored the plight of many Slavs who were forced to go back to Stalin's Russia at the end of the 2nd War and who he knew would be executed as they were.

Remember that caning had prior to my time been allowed across the hands. This is vastly more painful than the buttocks and was used on the persons writing hand (i.e., if they were right, handed then that hand and the reverse if they were left-handed) thus making it difficult for them to perform basic written tasks which would lead to further punishment - this from both male and female teachers - the Catholic convents were famous for it.

The problem that I have is that in my time at the school the two areas seem to be directly linked - corporal punishment and sexual abuse and I will add a third which was bullying.

[sejintenej]

The problem that I have is that in my time at the school the two areas seem to be directly linked - corporal punishment and sexual abuse and I will add a third which was bullying.

I think, Rob, that that is a bit generalised. I got put in the sicker when a bully decided that my face should be twice it's normal size I suspect they actually doubled that - I ended up blind from the swelling and I also lost teeth. I didn't and don't see anything sexual about it and corporal punishment is something different.
Kit knew exactly who had done it (even I don't know why he attacked me) but Kit didn't take action as far as I knew because if he had the next night in the dormitory would have been my last.

I do have one scar from the encounter but I went out of my way later to learn how to protect myself.

The bully ended up as a professor in a university in a foreign country - I hope he feels nervous that I have not forgotten him.

[jhopgood]

Surely RA Hewitt didn't teach Russian? And also, RAH was almost pedantically punctual. I suspect you may be thinking of Biddick, a lazy freeloader if ever there was one, who did teach Russian, and was eventually eased out.

Hewitt also taught history (in fact he mainly taught history). His lessons consisted of dictated notes. Punctiliously prepared, but stiflingly dull.

Correct.

Partial memory lapse.

[LongGone]

A recent study has looked at rates of violent behaviour by adolescents in those countries that have banned corporal punishment of students vs those that haven't. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/8/9/e02 ... gn=trendmd
The results are pretty dramatic: male student violence is 69% lower in countries that have banned corporal punishment. As usual, it is impossible to know if it a direct relationship, or reflects an overall cultural change in those countries.

[CodFlabAndMuck]

The Wide Game.

Do people remember this initiation for squits?

A bit off thread as not CP per se, although is banned now, as are all initiations.

Everyone would go down to Shelleys Wood and the objective was to hunt down the squits, bring them to the pond and throw them in.

You would end up dripping in mud from head to toe.

I found it fun and pretty harmless and it was just accepted as one of the many CH traditions.

Others may have found it stressful and intimidating, particularly those struggling to adjust to being away from home, but I don't know.

Any thoughts?

[J.R.]

New one to me.

I do remember being told in my first week in Prep B that all squirts would have to have two teeth taken out by the school dentist.

[CLang]

I don't think Peter Austin Jones ever beat anyone. I would be surprised if Michael Cherniavsky did, though as a senior housemaster, he would have been sorely tempted. Was anyone here ever beaten by Chern? Or Tim Law?

The Chern was my housemaster in my first year in Barnes B, along with Paddy Cullen, who was Junior Housemaster. From recollection, neither administered corporal punishment that year, although at the end of that year, something happened, both left, and we got a new house captain for the next year. Probably not a beatable offence.
Littlefield in Barnes A, had a reputation and opportunity, as he used it on at least one occasion, to my knowledge, related to Dining Hall misdemeanours.
I think Chern and Cullen were replaced by Miller and Law, and Miller I know, beat someone. Caught seeing his girlfriend off at the station. Rumour has it that he received six, stood up, swore, and immediately bent over again.

The Pongo one was me, I think. Last day of term breakfast. I threw a sausage at him, and it landed! Six of the worst. The only other beating I got was by Mr Massen, for drawing an unflattering picture of his wife on the blackboard. That must have really hurt him as it really hurt me!

[jhopgood]

I don't think Peter Austin Jones ever beat anyone. I would be surprised if Michael Cherniavsky did, though as a senior housemaster, he would have been sorely tempted. Was anyone here ever beaten by Chern? Or Tim Law?

The Chern was my housemaster in my first year in Barnes B, along with Paddy Cullen, who was Junior Housemaster. From recollection, neither administered corporal punishment that year, although at the end of that year, something happened, both left, and we got a new house captain for the next year. Probably not a beatable offence.
Littlefield in Barnes A, had a reputation and opportunity, as he used it on at least one occasion, to my knowledge, related to Dining Hall misdemeanours.
I think Chern and Cullen were replaced by Miller and Law, and Miller I know, beat someone. Caught seeing his girlfriend off at the station. Rumour has it that he received six, stood up, swore, and immediately bent over again.

The Pongo one was me, I think. Last day of term breakfast. I threw a sausage at him, and it landed! Six of the worst. The only other beating I got was by Mr Massen, for drawing an unflattering picture of his wife on the blackboard. That must have really hurt him as it really hurt me!

Not you on the occasion I recall, which was related to monitors ordering squits to smuggle out flab for use on their toast in the evening. The monitors were foolish enough not to realise that it is impossible to pick up the toast from the toaster at the same time as holding a jar of flab under your coat.

[Nichth]

Does anyone remember a master Dawes I think his name was. His middle finger on one hand had been broken at some time and had been set in a bent position. He smacked me in the mouth one day in class and this finger caught my front teeth and knocked one out. CH have paid for all dental work on this tooth for the last 40 years - and I can tell you it's thousands! Even now, living in Australia, they would still pay without question (I hope!).

I think you are referring to Dickie Dawe Tim and I have to say that I am surprised to read this.

My own experiences of Dickie Dawe were positive. He taught me English and under his tutelage I exceeded expectations at "O" level to the extent that I took the subject at "A" level when, sadly, I reverted back to my natural level.

I also remember him running an ornithology society and taking us on trips to Warnham Ponds to watch the water fowl amongst other places roundabout.

He could also handle a cricket bat and I can recall watching him smack the Prep bowlers halfway down The Avenue with a sawn down bat.

I should start by saying that we all liked Dickie Dawe and I also went with him on the bird watching trips, to see and count the great crested grebes. But I remember the time he knocked out Tim Stonhill's tooth with almost complete clarity. We were being taught upstairs in the prep block. Dickie completely lost his temper over some minor infringement committed by Tim, lashing out with one hand then the other, catching Tim full in the face. We all sat in stunned silence. After the dust had settled, Tim said "you've broken my tooth sir", Dickie replied that he hadn't, whereupon Tim showed him the evidence. Dickie stood stock still for what seemed like an age, staring at nothing, as the enormity of what he had done began to sink in. Then he turned to the class and mumbled some sort of apology, ending with something like "I will remember this for an awful lot longer than you will". I am so glad to learn that CH took it on the chin and paid up.

[sejintenej]

If he is the person I am thinking of, then he also tried to teach some of us Russian. After "A' levels. I think.
I
CH seemed to give introduction course like that. I seem to remember J C Todd trying to teach us modern Greek.

When we were doing A levels it was a rule that in every week we had to do two periods of some type of art or handcrafts and also two periods of a language we hadn't done before. "There would be no exams" we were told. I suspect that this might be what you are referring to.

When it was my turn the only languages taught were French (for which I had the O level) and German. German did not appeal (gross understatement - Croation was easier!) but Mr Herbert had taught in a Spanish university and gave me work to do in the back of the German class. Many years and several languages later I had two years one-on-one German and learned very little.

[loringa]

Does anyone remember a master Dawes I think his name was. His middle finger on one hand had been broken at some time and had been set in a bent position. He smacked me in the mouth one day in class and this finger caught my front teeth and knocked one out. CH have paid for all dental work on this tooth for the last 40 years - and I can tell you it's thousands! Even now, living in Australia, they would still pay without question (I hope!).

I think you are referring to Dickie Dawe Tim and I have to say that I am surprised to read this.

My own experiences of Dickie Dawe were positive. He taught me English and under his tutelage I exceeded expectations at "O" level to the extent that I took the subject at "A" level when, sadly, I reverted back to my natural level.

I also remember him running an ornithology society and taking us on trips to Warnham Ponds to watch the water fowl amongst other places roundabout.

He could also handle a cricket bat and I can recall watching him smack the Prep bowlers halfway down The Avenue with a sawn down bat.

I should start by saying that we all liked Dickie Dawe and I also went with him on the bird watching trips, to see and count the great crested grebes. But I remember the time he knocked out Tim Stonhill's tooth with almost complete clarity. We were being taught upstairs in the prep block. Dickie completely lost his temper over some minor infringement committed by Tim, lashing out with one hand then the other, catching Tim full in the face. We all sat in stunned silence. After the dust had settled, Tim said "you've broken my tooth sir", Dickie replied that he hadn't, whereupon Tim showed him the evidence. Dickie stood stock still for what seemed like an age, staring at nothing, as the enormity of what he had done began to sink in. Then he turned to the class and mumbled some sort of apology, ending with something like "I will remember this for an awful lot longer than you will". I am so glad to learn that CH took it on the chin and paid up.

I may have posted on this previously. Dickie Dawe was a very shouty teacher and quite physical - he once ripped my rugby jersey off me so that someone else could have it whose need he deemed greater, and he bawled me out regularly in the one class I ever had with him (second form environmental studies); admittedly I was guilty of talking in class. He made my life fairly miserable though I doubt this was intentional, except in the very short term. He was also my housemaster in LHA and was generally well liked and respected though still liable to explode, particularly on or around anything to do with games. I suspect, however, that he wouldn't have seen this as bullying and would probably have been hurt that it was received in this manner.

Dickie Dawe was very much a family man and, when he wasn't shouting, he could be very pleasant. I never heard of him actually hurting a pupil but with a temper such as his I am not wholly surprised. I fear he would have found teaching today quite a challenge.

I am interested to see what others make of the incident of tim stonhill's tooth. When Robert Durrant posted as 'vilified' he was given a very hard time on here (and his contract at CH had been terminated as the result of what could be seen as a similar type of incident). Younger man - different decade I suspect, but there are parallels.

[djmg]

This is RWWD or Dickie Dawe. He taught geography and Latin in the prep school. He had piercing blue eyes and freckles. He had mangled his finger in a high tackle and the digit became twisted in his victim's shirt collar, so he told me. He would often stay out on the pitches punting rugby balls over the sticks from the half way line. He later became master of Westminster Lower School and died maybe 5+ years ago.