May 1978
I was a pupil at a mixed middle school (junior school in some parts of the country), aged 11 and looking forward to going up to the local secondary school in September. The names of those involved have been changed.
As was pretty much the norm in those enlightened days, your classroom teacher was allowed to spank their pupils, within reason, with no punishment book record. That was the preserve of the headmistress and deputy headmistress. Both male and female teachers were allowed to spank boys and girls in those days, and the teacher could punish how they wished, again within reason, for the offence committed.
Talking could get you one stroke across the palm with a ruler if you were disruptive. Poor work could get a ‘see me’ and a couple of slaps on the backs of your legs whilst being talked to, usually on the bottom for more regular offenders. When children had been really naughty; swearing, talking back, not attempting the simple homework, fighting, etc, if this was deemed serious enough the child would be sent to the headmistress or her deputy, their rooms were next to each other. In there, as it was a serious offence, they would usually receive the slipper cross their bottom, and for the most serious, a yard-long wooden ruler, 2 inches wide, could be skilfully laid hard across the bottom. Whilst I never experienced this, several friends did, both boys and girls. The boys had to touch their toes for the slipper or stick to be applied. The girls, however, had to bend over the teacher’s lap and would usually have their skirts pulled up and have the spanking applied over their knickers, according to three girls who had had that punishment.
Back in the classroom, the three male teachers tended to treat boys and girls the same. They would push the pupil over with a gentle push to the back of the head to encourage them to bend over, and then land 2 or 4 smacks to their bum. Generally, it was not that hard in my experience, at least not compared to my mum! It was certainly enough to give you a wake-up call. If they really wanted to get the message across, they would obviously make the spanking more memorable, or, more for the effect on the rest of the class, whip out the ‘slipper’, an old plimsoll which was used about once per month. The female teachers, on the whole, favoured the sitting down and over the knee position as they found it ‘more personal’ in that you knew you were being held for the duration and you couldn’t run away, even if you dared. Whilst most treated boys and girls the same, a couple would pull a girls skirt up and spank over her panties, one lowered the boys trousers or shorts which was totally humiliating but not considered out of the ordinary for the times.
My class was taught by an attractive female teacher, Mrs Hibbard. She had shoulder-length blond hair, blue eyes and was about average height and build. She ran our year’s boys football team and the girls’ netball team, and was obviously quite sporty. At that age, boys started to notice ladies more, but she always made sure she dressed moderately and wore trousers in class usually, and a tracksuit for sports.
One Wednesday, after school, she was running a joint netball and football practice. She would usually see the girls on a Tuesday but last night had been parents’ evening and so she doubled up on the afternoon. As both were the official school teams, both trained in their school kit. The boys wore thin, black cotton shorts and dark blue tee-shirts, whilst the girls wore white polo shirts, short maroon sports skirts and matching maroon sports knickers over their normal pants.
As you can imagine, two groups running together in the school yard was never going to end well, really. A boy called Billy made a cross from the far side of the pitch and drilled the ball, which would usually have just bounced harmlessly off the building wall, but instead hit Monica and Judy square in the side of the head as they went for a high ball. Bill laughed out loud as the ball struck home. Both girls were stunned at first and then reacted angrily and swore, and Judy threw the ball back at the now apologetic Bill, but hitting another boy, Martin, in the groin. He went down like a sack of potatoes, but not before launching the ball back at the girls, narrowly missing Mrs Hibbard.
Mrs Hibbard blew her shrill whistle as loudly as she could as the girls’ and boys’ groups rushed to inspect the damage to their fallen teammates. Those not directly involved marvelled at the ensuing chaos as shouts rang out and Mrs Hubbard tried to regain control with another couple of long shrill whistles and several yells of “quiet” shouted at the top of her voice.
Soon order was restored and first of all she separated the two groups. She then made sure Monica and Judy’s heads were alright. Checking Martin was more of an issue, but she asked if he was OK and he told her that he was just winded, but he still had tears in his eyes.
Mrs Hibbard waved everyone away and then blew her whistle, pointing firstly to Monica and then Judy and beckoned them over. Then she did the same with Billy and Martin, and soon all four were standing attentively looking up at the teacher.
“I am appalled by your behaviour, children. Billy, your shot was totally out of control and dangerous given that the girls are playing literally next to your pitch and you hit these two in the head. Your laughter only made things worse. Monica and Judy, I understand you have been hurt, but shouting and swearing will not be tolerated! Judy, you then hurt Martin by acting out of anger,” she lectured. “Martin, you are an innocent party in all of this, but I require an apology from you three.”
“Sorry Martin,” the three chorused whilst looking down at the ground in front of them.
“Thank you. Now Martin, you may go and rejoin your friends whilst I deal with these three!” Mrs Hibbard turned to look at the small group who stood nervously, not wanting to catch her eye. “Follow me,” she ordered as she walked swiftly to a bench which was attached to the wall of the school building and turned to await the three arriving behind her.
“Hurry up!” she ordered and the three got a move on.
Now she had their full attention, she could start to deal with them as all the other pupils looked on in expectation of a whacking.
Mrs Hibbard sat herself down on the bench and told the three children to stand over to her right, which they did, shuffling about, no one wanting to be the closest fearing what might be about to come.
“Stop fidgeting and stand still!” Mrs Hibbard barked. “If you hadn’t acted like you did you would not be standing there now wondering what was about to happen. Well, I am not going to keep you waiting. Billy, come here!” she demanded, and Billy dutifully shuffled towards her.
As soon as he was standing close enough, she said, “Come over here,” and with that she grabbed his left wrist and pulled the lad purposefully but not aggressively across her knee, his shorts pulling tight as she did so. Billy was not the tallest of kids for an 11-year-old and his arms and legs hung in mid-air almost comically.
“Now hold still,” and with that, Mrs Hubbard delivered what was for her, quite a long spanking; 12 smacks across both buttocks, which had his legs and arms whirling like windmills as he tried to respond to the onslaught. Usually, she didn’t give more than about 6 smacks except in exceptional cases, which this must have been. The two girls looked on in horror.
Following the 12th and final spank, Mrs Hibbard helped Billy up and he stood holding his bottom and crying like a toddler, all of his mates pointing and giggling.
“The next one to laugh will get 6 for themselves. Monica,” Mrs Hibbard said, matter of factly.
Monica’s face dropped when she was told she was next and Judy continued to fidget and was clearly very, very nervous. Mrs Hubbard once again pulled her next victim across her lap. Again, Monica’s bottom faced upwards and her legs and arms hung in the air helplessly as she awaited the first of the spanks that were soon to come.
“Because you shouted and swore at Billy, you will receive 6 more smacks than he did,” announced Mrs Hibbard.
“Ohh!” An audible sound of collective surprise went up.
At the same moment, that was exactly what happened to Monica’s sports skirt as Mrs Hubbard pulled the short skirt ceremonially out of the way and began applying the first of 18 spanks firmly to the girl’s bottom. Again, the arms and legs gyrated but to no effect and she was held firmly in place at the waist by the teacher’s left hand. After 4 smacks she was crying and by 16 sobbing her heart out, but Mrs Hubbard applied the last 2 with the same force and aim. She then helped the sobbing girl up and her skirt fell limply back into place over her maroon knickers. Goodness only knows what her actual bottom was like! She walked carefully back to her group of friends, who all acted sympathetically, but I think just wanted a look at the evidence of the spanking they had just watched. Last up was Judy.
“Alright Judy, your turn, come here,” Mrs Hibbard said to the shaking girl.
Again, taking her by the wrist, the tall, thin frame of Judy replaced Monica in the now familiar over-the-knee position, her toes and fingers just about on the floor to give support. Mrs Hibbard then pulled Judy’s skirt up, but as yet had said nothing about the punishment, but as she rested her right hand on Judy’s bottom Judy jumped as though she had been spanked.
“Now Judy, your actions were the most serious. Not only did you shout and swear at Billy, you also threw the ball in anger, which hit poor Martin in his, er, nether regions. Because of this additional action you will receive 12 spanks.” After a pause for maximum effect, she added, “With your own slipper.”
While the surprise of that announcement sank in with Judy, Mrs Hubbard quickly slipped off Judy’s plimsoll and the first of the 12 whacks landed on her bottom with a whack. The remaining 11 came at a steady pace as Mrs Hubbard expertly worked her way around Judy’s bottom, making every stroke count. Judy was crying at the second one and blubbering by the end, jumping up and jumping around trying to quell the pain in her bottom. Mrs Hubbard tossed the plimsoll back towards Judy.
All three spanked children sat out the rest of the session and Mrs Hubbard never had a repeat of the incident again.
Bls