Chung Wai Ming Recalls His Primary School Days

Clip4-Corporal Punishment

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There was a platform in the classroom and next to it were placed a number of canes, thick ones and thin ones. During class, the teacher would first choose a cane and wack it in the air, making a swishing sound in the air as if to show off its might to the students. In fact, all the children were very obedient; they were quiet during class and we were asked by the teachers to sit with our hands on our laps, back straight and looking straight at the teacher and not to let our eyes wonder about. If the teachers saw us moving, we would be made to stand as punishment until class was over. To be made to stand was very humiliating so no one dared to be naughty. The more usual punishment was being caned three times on the palm, or caned on the backside. Once, something really weird happened. One of the children had done something wrong and knew he would be punished, so he stuffed a lot of newspapers behind his backside, but when the teacher discovered that strange sounds were produced from his caning, he took all the newspapers out, and the kid had to take a few more canes.

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