The Strap

Oct 20, 2022 | 1 comment

The strap was used as a form of corporal punishment in schools. It was typically a broad and heavy strip of leather about a foot long. Students who had disobeyed were made to hold out their hands, palms up to expose the most sensitive parts. The teacher would then raise the strap above their head and swing it down as hard as they could to connect with the student’s fingers and palms. Typically a student would recieve between 5 and 10 hits on each hand. Their hands would hurt so badly afterwards that they often couldn’t hold a pen to write. Students would rarely run home to tell their parents  about the incident for fear of getting in even more trouble with them.

1 Comment

  1. Heritage Museum

    Thankfully the strap was eliminated the year after I started teaching.

    Reply

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