Memories of Patrick Casey

By Malcolm Rigg

 The other day, re-reading an Editorial about Punishment at J.C.S. brought back memories of when Pat Casey was my form Teacher in 3T/4T.  Casey had many methods of punishment of which, I feel, the following two are worth re-calling:

After leaving the classroom for, playtime, dinner-time or to go home, we were always required to put our chairs back under the desk.

If we didn’t we would find that, on our return, a huge “C” was scrolled on our desktop.

Nothing would be said about this until the next time we were preparing for a P.T. lesson.  After we had changed into our shorts and vests, the deed would be brought back, rather vividly, when Casey would remind the offenders of the “C’s” on their desks, and ask the culprits to please line up at the front of the room next to his desk.

Woe betide anyone who had forgotten? Casey never did!

The next step was for the first boy in line to open the bottom drawer of his desk, while the second in line, removed his gymshoe.  The first boy was then required to bend over and hold the drawer while the second boy had to belt the hell out of the back-side of the boy in front of him.  If he didn’t hit him hard enough then he would get one off Pat Casey, plus the one he was due from the lad behind him.  Believe me those thin shorts were not much protection if you had a big lad behind you!

 The second recollection probably stemmed from his Army service.

If he could hold onto the hair next to your ears too easily, he would hold onto it in such a fashion that he had you standing up on your tiptoes, while going on about “Thinking somebody needs a good haircut”

What days!

I wonder what would be made of such behaviour today?

Does anyone else remember these punishments? 

Malcolm Rigg (1949-1952)  March 2005