What is the most random school memory you have?

I was accused of stealing the teacher’s pencil. It was so traumatic , that I still can’t remember, whether I actually did or was wrongly accused …..

Being mimicked by the Primary headmaster in a corridor "library", where I was quietly choosing a book. No one else was around. It was both a horrible, and a completely random experience. (What a mean person he was to need to make fun of a 10 year old schoolgirl.) I gave him, (what I hoped was) a hard stare. It felt like bullying, and the cruelty of it never left me.

Being caned in the headmaster’s office. I wish it had been for something I didn’t do, but…. I was I one of four who worked a silly prank. Our headmaster was a lovely man. Even after that we all still adored him!

I lived in Scotland and leather straps on the hand were in frequent use. Most of the time I had done nothing to offend etc. At secondary school. for saying de le instead of du, the French teacher gave me 6 on the palm of each hand using his full strength. I tried not to cry but didn't manage it. Everybody was terrified of him.

Last year of junior school.
The maths teacher couldn’t understand that I had a problem with numbers.
He lost his temper to the extent that he hit me round the head so hard my glasses went flying.
Long story short: my mother got to hear of it.
Afternoon lessons had just started and in stormed my mother.
Grabbed him by his shirt from and whacked him.
When I went onto secondary school I heard that he had hurt a child so badly he was sent to prison.
I’m just grateful that my father was at sea otherwise he would ( and could) kill him with his bare hands.

The puddle on the floor made by Denise D within the first weeks at primary school.
Then reporting to 'Miss' that the radiator was leaking.

ixion I love that one.

At my all girls school, I remember the day we all trooped down to the woods as rumour had it that a boy was there. It was the most ridiculous moment and we didn’t find him. Just as well….

petra

Last year of junior school.
The maths teacher couldn’t understand that I had a problem with numbers.
He lost his temper to the extent that he hit me round the head so hard my glasses went flying.
Long story short: my mother got to hear of it.
Afternoon lessons had just started and in stormed my mother.
Grabbed him by his shirt from and whacked him.
When I went onto secondary school I heard that he had hurt a child so badly he was sent to prison.
I’m just grateful that my father was at sea otherwise he would ( and could) kill him with his bare hands.

Petra, so many teachers were like that back in the days, it wouldn't be tolerated now, my mum told me about a teacher using the strap on her, right up her arm was red, when my granny saw it ,she was right at the school next day,and had the teacher by the throat. that was the 1917...1920's

At junior school in the 50's getting paid for picking rose hips.

In assembly the entire grammar school thought it was hilarious when the sports master said 'I gamble' while reading a list of sports teams.

A similar reaction followed after someone accidentally knocked over a fire extinguisher and set it off.

Having to stand up whilst the whole school was told I was the best reader in the school and wanting the floor to swallow me up as I was so shy!

I can’t remember who said about getting the bus aged 5, but round here children starting Reception aged 4 will get the bus if they live in the outlying villages.

I remember at 11 in an RE lesson which we called SE as the teacher only talked about sex, I was desperate to go to the toilet with an upset stomach and sat in agony till the end of the lesson as I was afraid to ask to go to the toilet.

Talking to the boys over the gunnel wall and being in detention for it.

Being whacked on the palm with a ruler for writing in the margin at 5 years old. Still makes me angry to think about it. It left me terrified of ever making a mistake and worried about going to school.

Our whole class [girls convent grammar] having to write 100 lines the night before G.C.E's started - except it wasn't a line - it was a paragraph and one I have never forgotten 55 years later, it was this;
Churlish and inconsiderate behaviour caused by a minority, inflicts on the majority a punishment that could easily have been avoided had the minority exercised a little self control and honesty.
And another punishment given by a prefect during detention for no doubt some other minor transgression, was to write an 800 word essay on the inside of a ping pong ball.
Those were the days.

I remember that too. It was disgusting and I have never forgotten it. I only ever drink milk in tea or on cereal and always straight from the fridge now. I also remember the horrible stewed apricots for school dinners. It was years before I could face an apricot!

I’m appalled to read of the violence that was handed out to so many of you. What a bad example. There was no physical punishment at all at my school.

I couldn’t tell the time until I was about ten. One teacher, suspecting this, would send me to get the time from the big clock on the landing. I would wait until somebody passed me, tell them I couldn’t understand the Roman numerals, and they would tell me what time it was.

When the scaffies (Scottish bin men) came to our rural primary school at playtime the older girls would surround them shrieking "Gie's a beardie!". This involved running around pursued by a pongy binman who'd rub his stubbly cheek on their's.
It was great fun. Would probably be in the Daily Mail now.

Carol Bucket stealing my comb on the first day at grammar school. I had come from a little private school and knew nobody. I remember going home in floods of tears, and my mother and I cycling down to the village shop to buy another.

Well I hope Carol Bucket is reading this!

JamesandJon33

My bag of aniseed balls burst in the middle of my 11+ exam, and rolled all over the classroom floor.

I love this one!

Charleygirl5

I lived in Scotland and leather straps on the hand were in frequent use. Most of the time I had done nothing to offend etc. At secondary school. for saying de le instead of du, the French teacher gave me 6 on the palm of each hand using his full strength. I tried not to cry but didn't manage it. Everybody was terrified of him.

I live in Scotland and I too got 6 of the belt aimed loosely at my palm/wrist by a sadistic Maths Teacher for getting my homework wrong because I didn't understand how to do it. It really stung, not just the pain, but because she still didn't explain how to do it. I went on to drop maths and do a basic O Level in Arithmetic.

One of the most memorable days was when a toe rag boy brought some frogs into the classroom where we had a teacher with absolutely no teaching/communication/knowledge or any control over his classes.
The boy let them loose under the feet of the girls who began screaming, and the boy went around stamping on them. It was truly traumatic!
The teacher did nothing.

I don’t know about ‘random’, but it’s still vivid.

Teacher asked whether anyone knew where to put an apostrophe.
Little Miss Know-All’s hand shot straight up. ‘We were playing with the boys…’

Teacher, immediately: ‘No! That is exactly where we DON’T put it!’

I’m still thankful for having had such a good teacher for such basics!

Another one - at the start of my 2nd year I noticed the names of the new kindergarten lot, beside their pegs in the cloakroom.

What a weird name - PEEN-lope!
It was quite a while before I actually heard anyone pronounce it!