And bullies find any excuse to impose their 'power'. Was the teacher English or Scottish?
We had teachers who were petty bullies in our school as well although corporal punishment was outlawed by then, so they resorted to both psychological and less direct physical punishment. I was sent to the headmaster's office a couple of times for intervening when a particularly nasty PE teacher was - again - taking out her spite on a rather overweight girl in my class. It is in the nature of that sort of person that they find an excuse and use it.
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
This wasn't the odd pervert. This happened right across Scotland. It was an organised attempt to beat folk into line. I'm surprised, and proud, that 'Scotland' has managed to survive.
Many teachers 'back in the day' ruled by fear. My brother was born in 1947 and was often hit by a teacher for daring to write with his left hand. Another teacher dragged him from his desk by his hair for the same reason. That has nothing to do with nationality, it is power lust and enjoying bullying those unable to stand up for themselves.
Also, for information, my mother was Scottish and I spent a large proportion of my formative years in Scotland. Not actually living there doesn't diminish my pride in my Scottish ancestry, nor does it prevent me questioning those who would claim to be speaking 'In the name of Scotland' when they would seem to know too much about it.
The same thing happened in Wales to Welsh speakers. My gran told stories of punishments for speaking Welsh in schools. My mum tells similar tales of how her school tried to force her to write with her right hand. I was told that it was thought the nation would be greater if we all spoke the same language Then they decided we all had to learn French in school because we were part of the great European Union, which has worked out well...
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
It doesn't just happen in the UK. I hear tales from ladies at patch club, now in their 60s and 70s who were beaten and bullied by nuns at school for being left-handed, for not learning their catechism and so on and so forth.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
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We had teachers who were petty bullies in our school as well although corporal punishment was outlawed by then, so they resorted to both psychological and less direct physical punishment. I was sent to the headmaster's office a couple of times for intervening when a particularly nasty PE teacher was - again - taking out her spite on a rather overweight girl in my class. It is in the nature of that sort of person that they find an excuse and use it.
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
People I know who went to the poshest boarding schools could tell you the same story, as could someone who was in a foster home.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I'm surprised, and proud, that 'Scotland' has managed to survive.