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I grew up in West St Catherine near Clarendon. My father lived and worked in the United States and my mother, younger sister and I lived in a housing scheme in St. Catherine. From Grades 1 to 5 I received copious corporal punishment in school as my teachers sought to instill discipline in me and encourage me to learn. After Grade 5 I moved on into High School during which I never received corporal punishment again. The following is my Grade 5 experience.
I entered Grade 5 at my primary school in Western St Catherine in September 1979 at the age of 10. My class teacher was a stern, formidably built lady (identical size as the tennis player,Serena Williams), 5 ft 10 ins tall , and 34 years old then. Her name was Ms. C. Lawson.
Initially from September to November of 1979 Ms Lawson used a thick strap to mete out discipline in her class. Mornings always began with prayer and devotion, something which I miss today.
One Wednesday Ms Lawson set some Maths homework for the class to do and turn in the next day. The next day, a Thursday, Ms Lawson requested the homework and I just happened to have forgotten to bring mine. I received six lashings of the strap on my hands.
Another day I was cought chatting in class and got five licks of the strap across my back.
Another day Ms Lawson beat this girl across her head and back with the strap for not being able to spell a certain word correctly.
Fot the rest of that term I did my best to minimise the incidences of my being hit by the strap. I diligently studied, did all my homework and tried not to talk in class.
As Christmas holidays approached I began overeating as I prepared for the Common Entrance exams in January 1980. In the mornings I would typically have a bowl of porridge, a two pound loaf of bread with ackee and saltfish and a mug of Milo. For lunch I'd have eight patties, a slice of cake and a soda. In the mid afternoon I'd have bun and cheese, and for dinner I'd have rice, dumplings, meat, chicken or fried fish and lemonade. During the Christmas holidays I really went overboard with the food, and by New Year's Day I looked like a Sumo wrestler.
School was soon back in session and Ms. Lawson was now brandishing a cane as her tool of discipline. I confidently sat and did the Common Entrance exams at the end of January. One day Ms Lawson was teaching Bible Studies and I forgot my Bible. She called me a pagan then gave me five strokes of the cane on my hands.
Meanwhile I continued gaining weight and by April 1980 I had gotten a very HUGE and GIGANTIC belly, so big that I could only do the top four buttons of my khaki shirts leaving the front of my belly exposed.
One day in mid April Ms Lawson gave a Maths and Reasoning test. Charlene (a girl seated beside me) and I had a textbook open from which we were finding the answers. Ms Lawson caught us, called us up and explained our infraction to the rest of the class. She then reached for her cane and gave me four strokes across my back. Then she gave me six strokes in my belly. She than gave Charlene six strokes on her hands.
Another day I returned to class ten minutes too late after lunch time. Ms Lawson gave me six hard strokes on my belly leaving welts and bruises. Then she gave me four strokes on my hands.
Another day I had mispelt the word "animosity" in an essay and Ms Lawson called me up. As I reached her desk she stuck the tip of the cane into my navel and ordered mt to spell the word correctly. I kept mispelling it and got four strokes in the belly.
Generally the class was kept in order and nobody was ever sent to the principal/ headmaster. We were always respectful to our teachers and to our elders in general.
Ms. Lawson delighted in our doing well in our classwork. Otherwise, she'd get irate and the cane would be heard swooshing across the classroom. The result was painful weals and bruises on the skin.
These bruises on my belly would often turn into black scars and when I went home it was easy for the whole neighbourhood to see that I had gotten caning.
My mother would laugh and say that the teacher was only doing a good job of keeping her class disciplined. That sentiment was reaffirmed when Common Entrance results came out in June and most of the class, including myself, had successfully passed. I was given a government scholarship.
On that glee-filled morning after the results were published in the Gleaner, Ms. Lawson went around shaking our hands.
After High School my father filed for us and I left Jamaica and attended the University of Florida, got a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, then a Masters of Science in Pharmacy, then a PhD in Pharmacy.
I entered Grade 5 at my primary school in Western St Catherine in September 1979 at the age of 10. My class teacher was a stern, formidably built lady (identical size as the tennis player,Serena Williams), 5 ft 10 ins tall , and 34 years old then. Her name was Ms. C. Lawson.
Initially from September to November of 1979 Ms Lawson used a thick strap to mete out discipline in her class. Mornings always began with prayer and devotion, something which I miss today.
One Wednesday Ms Lawson set some Maths homework for the class to do and turn in the next day. The next day, a Thursday, Ms Lawson requested the homework and I just happened to have forgotten to bring mine. I received six lashings of the strap on my hands.
Another day I was cought chatting in class and got five licks of the strap across my back.
Another day Ms Lawson beat this girl across her head and back with the strap for not being able to spell a certain word correctly.
Fot the rest of that term I did my best to minimise the incidences of my being hit by the strap. I diligently studied, did all my homework and tried not to talk in class.
As Christmas holidays approached I began overeating as I prepared for the Common Entrance exams in January 1980. In the mornings I would typically have a bowl of porridge, a two pound loaf of bread with ackee and saltfish and a mug of Milo. For lunch I'd have eight patties, a slice of cake and a soda. In the mid afternoon I'd have bun and cheese, and for dinner I'd have rice, dumplings, meat, chicken or fried fish and lemonade. During the Christmas holidays I really went overboard with the food, and by New Year's Day I looked like a Sumo wrestler.
School was soon back in session and Ms. Lawson was now brandishing a cane as her tool of discipline. I confidently sat and did the Common Entrance exams at the end of January. One day Ms Lawson was teaching Bible Studies and I forgot my Bible. She called me a pagan then gave me five strokes of the cane on my hands.
Meanwhile I continued gaining weight and by April 1980 I had gotten a very HUGE and GIGANTIC belly, so big that I could only do the top four buttons of my khaki shirts leaving the front of my belly exposed.
One day in mid April Ms Lawson gave a Maths and Reasoning test. Charlene (a girl seated beside me) and I had a textbook open from which we were finding the answers. Ms Lawson caught us, called us up and explained our infraction to the rest of the class. She then reached for her cane and gave me four strokes across my back. Then she gave me six strokes in my belly. She than gave Charlene six strokes on her hands.
Another day I returned to class ten minutes too late after lunch time. Ms Lawson gave me six hard strokes on my belly leaving welts and bruises. Then she gave me four strokes on my hands.
Another day I had mispelt the word "animosity" in an essay and Ms Lawson called me up. As I reached her desk she stuck the tip of the cane into my navel and ordered mt to spell the word correctly. I kept mispelling it and got four strokes in the belly.
Generally the class was kept in order and nobody was ever sent to the principal/ headmaster. We were always respectful to our teachers and to our elders in general.
Ms. Lawson delighted in our doing well in our classwork. Otherwise, she'd get irate and the cane would be heard swooshing across the classroom. The result was painful weals and bruises on the skin.
These bruises on my belly would often turn into black scars and when I went home it was easy for the whole neighbourhood to see that I had gotten caning.
My mother would laugh and say that the teacher was only doing a good job of keeping her class disciplined. That sentiment was reaffirmed when Common Entrance results came out in June and most of the class, including myself, had successfully passed. I was given a government scholarship.
On that glee-filled morning after the results were published in the Gleaner, Ms. Lawson went around shaking our hands.
After High School my father filed for us and I left Jamaica and attended the University of Florida, got a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, then a Masters of Science in Pharmacy, then a PhD in Pharmacy.
and many other times through out my primary school days. Dem neva cane in HS though....I don't think... 
mi did get nuff detention an demerit though
Massie !!!
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