Humiliate
The Reverend Mother looked at the boy before her and saw a crude, callous and deserving creature of all the punishment she could deliver.
It was her God-given obligation to teach boys humility even if she had to belt it into him.
He was at fault there was no doubt. She’d heard him exclaim, “bloody pen” as everyone settled down to their maths exercise. There was no way she was going to give up this opportunity to humiliate the boy in front of the class.
As it was she disliked boys. They were vile, smelly and uncouth and if she had her way she’d belt every one of them everyday.
The boy in question was stood in front of the class as she delivered her tirade on blasphemy, swearing and the disgusting practices of all boys. She knew she held the class in her hand as they were waiting for her to swing the cane.
She didn’t let them down; the boy received six of her best for being a repulsive guttersnipe. She watched him cringe as he made his way back to his seat, his humiliation complete as she felt the exhilaration of his tears.
Written for: https://lindaghill.com/2018/01/11/jusjojan-daily-prompt-january-11th-2018/
Morpethroad 
Poor boy!
Thanks Ritu, happened more than I like to think about.
Oh man…
Old cranky women, stuck in a religious order they had no way of getting out of so we kids copped the brunt of their frustrations. Thankfully things have changed, I hope.
I don;t know anyone in convent schools now so I can’t comment on that, but then you can’t do anything physical in school as a teacher to punish a child, without severe consequences!
Yes thank goodness for that, but in my day, the ones referred to as the good old days, it was anything goes. And it did.
It did indeed!
Oh! Boy I can empathise with that boy… I was taught by nuns and they were as vicious towards us girls too. Not only did we get the ruler but also I got regular tongue lashings, I am surprised I left school with any self-esteem. I left at 15yrs as soon as I could! I am sorry you had such a bad experience too. 💜
You know not long ago I wrote an article about my primary school days under the Sisters of Mercy (yes ironic I know) and it was published on an over 60’s site here in Aust. Over 95% of replies endorsed my story of horror in the classroom. It seems it happened everywhere willow.
Yes sadly these Nuns have a lot to answer for. I have allowed myself to be bullied and biased around thanks to what those …Sister’s of charity/ mercy said and did to me! Well we survived Michael we are made of better stuff! 💜
Oh yes and one thing they taught me as a teacher was never to be like them.
That’s what they taught you and me and many others never ever to be like them in anyway shape or form. 🌹
Ps. Have you heard of the Magdalen Asylums in Ireland…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magdalene_Laundries_in_Ireland yes a lot to answer for 🌹
Oh yes and I watched the movie some years ago, absolutely disgusting places. I was surprised to learn they existed for as long as they did.
It’s scandalous isn’t it!
Absolutely.
We best get off this subject before mother superior comes along with her swishing skirts to hit us with her Rosary beads! 😉
You know the nun who first taught me music when I was in 4th class lives near me and is the loveliest woman, in her 80s and doing well….sadly I had her for a short time before they sent her someplace else and replaced her with Mother Therese, the devil in a habit.
Yes there were some kind nuns but they often seemed to disappear. I should not damn them all they can’t all of been bad but I can only speak from my own experience. 💜
Yes there were some good ones, there was an old nun from another school nearby who in her old age wrote a letter of apology to her students for her harsh behaviour towards them. I think as she aged she knew she had not treated her students very well.
And feared meeting her maker without making amends 🌹
I think so…but to many they thought it embarrassing to see her humiliate herself as she did, but I saw it as a great act of positive humility, I’m not sure I could have done what she did.
No your right I should be generous, she may of truly seen error if her ways. 😉
Some of those nuns are going to have a lot to answer for. My Mum went to a boarding school where nuns were in charge. They (the girls) had to wear a smock while taking a bath so they wouldn’t have evil thoughts about their bodies, and sleep with their arms outside the blankets. My Mum was also given the cane on her first day at school simply because she was sitting with her behind hanging over the bench seat. She had a boil on her bottom. She copped a whack with the cane you know where. Ouch!
They were terrible times Lyn
I didn’t attend private schools but I’ve heard many stories about the ruthlessness of the nuns!
And I’m sure they were all true.
Their idea of maintaining classroom discipline was intimidation and humiliation. Many of them were placed in classrooms with no idea what they were doing. I spent eight years at their hands…
You are dead right about that John, not only didn’t they know what they were doing many found they were stuck there with nowhere to go.
Not nice Michael. Not nice. Hope the witch gets her comeuppance in the afterlife.
I think she suffered plenty in this life without the afterlife adding to her misery.
You are very generous in your thoughts here Michael. I’m thankful I didn’t have this kind of education, but some of the teachers at Grammar School liked to humiliate some pupils, myself included for being overweight. Luckily it was verbal, not physical, but it left its mark.
There are some things we don’t forget aren’t there.
No, even though we try to, they are always there.
oh my goodness, was this autobiographical? did you go to catholic school?
Yes I did, mine is the voice of experience.
My dad had stories of headmasters who were free with the cane growing up in England. And nowadays teachers can’t even fail a student. There must be a happy medium….