DR. J.S. HELMCKEN REMEMBRENCES:
SCHOOL DAYS
"I got used to the discipline and used to go off with alacrity at 9 o'clock in the morning and remain at school until 5 in the afternoon . . . we were only drilled in English, German, Writing and Arithmetic and Geography. . .Examinations every week viva voce ... any boy answering a question, that an upper one could not took his place, so it happened that a boy who at the beginning stood first found in the end himself lower down in rank ... something like racing. . .
(the teacher would). . .remind us daily that Order was Heaven's first law! Punishment was not very common ... clops on the hand with a cane or strap ... Kneel down on the floor and hold up a brick, sometimes two, or kneel on a bench and go through the same process ... an awful punishment. . .we were not only punished for offences in school but also castigated for offences out of school and school hours."
"It is true we used to fight other schools and used to make appointments to meet other schools in Bishop Bonner Fields or other place, and have a regular organized fight ... each side having colored tissue paper to represent their side and rank. Of course there were plenty of bruises and so forth.
If complaints were made of the fights and found warranted, the ring leaders were punished ... I saw a whole dozen of boys made to kneel on a bench ... big boys at this, and the master went along with a long cane thrashing each one in turn." John Helmcken (BCARS: ADD.MSS. 505, V.12)
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