PUNISHMENT AT COORANBONG SCHOOL
Over about a 100 years ago school was a very different place. The teachers were very strict .The punishment was very different to today's punishment and a lot more fierce than today's punishment. The most painful and frightening form of punishment in those days was the cane. The cane was mostly used to scare or discipline the children. The children were punished for both minor and major offences, some got up to six lashes. The cane was also used for when children were talking, muttering, not knowing their times tables, bad spelling and writing, throwing rocks, hitting girls, punching, home work not done and turning around in class. These days our punishment is totally different to those days thankfully. Here is an example of a punishment book kept in 1888
| Name of student | Age | Nature of offence | Amount of punishment | Instrument | Date |
| W. McNally | 12 | Talking & disorder | 4 strokes | rod 1/4" dia. | 9th July 1988 |
| J. Hoffen | 9 | bad spelling | 2 strokes | " |
" |
| P. McPhillips | 7 | Inattention | 2 strokes | " |
" |
| C. Coleman | 12 | Unlearnt home exercise | 4 strokes | " |
" |
| A . Brown | 8 | Careless writing | 2 strokes | " |
" |
| J . Brock | 6 | talking | 2 strokes | " |
" |
| A. McMullen | 12 | Impertinence to Miss Roberts | 6 strokes | " |
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