Archive (4 life histories found)
'The hand was to be thrust out and held there whilst this strong young man put all of his strength into a severe slap '
In St Canices School we were for the first time introduced to the Christian Brothers. One, whose name I don't recall, was a gentle pleasant man. During religion class he particularly emphasised the dictum: 'Love your enemy says Christ, Do good to…
Tags: leather, punishment, school, slap, strap
'Caning on the palm of the hands was very common or sending to the Headmaster for more punishment '
I went to a very small Primary School at Baripada, Dist. Mayerbhang, Orissa, India. There was no school uniform then. It was a big long classroom with desks and a big blackboard, chalks and duster. We had only one teacher for one class who was…
Tags: homework, Primary school, punishment
'...not so much the love of God and certainly not the love of our neighbour but the avoidance of Hell'
The biggest item on the agenda for us growing up in the 1940s and 1950s was religion, not so much the love of God and certainly not the love of our neighbour but the avoidance of Hell. In first class (8 year olds) Fr Hearn came in one day to enquire…
Tags: catechism, Catholicism, dogma, Education, punishment, religion, sin
'Northern Catholics had an inbuilt inferiority complex aided and abetted by our dreadful primary education'
Going to Castleknock was a profound cultural shock for a very small boy (I was the smallest in the school) from Northern Ireland. Northern Catholics had an inbuilt inferiority complex aided and abetted by our dreadful primary education. The boys in…