Schools, by their nature, reflect all
strands of society. The vast majority of children are quite content to
conform to acceptable standards of honesty and behaviour but there are
always a few who are not prepared to do so. The small minority of children
who fall into that category might be doing so for a variety of reasons -
attention seeking, boredom, sheer excitement or simply to acquire desirable
objects that close friends already possess. Whatever the reason, or reasons,
dishonesty and bad behaviour is a source of serious cause concern and
distress within a school.Dolphin Lane’s first incidence of dishonesty
occurred as early as October 1931.
‘Today an unheard of thing; money missing in two classes from teacher’s
cupboards. Milk and Biscuit Money. …….. Sums of 10d and about 2/-
respectively.’
Although the culprit was not immediately found, he was not so lucky when
he tried to steal again four days later.
‘A boy named W.B. caught by Head Teacher attempting to obtain money from
Miss Knight’s classroom during a period when this class was in the Hall. Boy
owned up in the presence of his mother to having taken the sums referred to
above. Mother expressed regret; made good deficiencies, at her own
suggestion, by taking money from boy’s home money-box. Boy had a huge toy
gun, which used up endless boxes of caps and most of money had been spent on
purchase of the caps. Boy frequently attends pictures.’
No incidents of this nature, thought serious enough to record, occurred
for another five years, then two boys from the school appeared in the
Juvenile Court ‘for stealing torches etc.’ Both boys were fined 2/6d.
This punishment failed to prevent further incidents of a similar nature,
three being recorded in a relatively short space of time.
In the first case two boys appeared at the Juvenile Court for stealing
cigarettes. Sentencing was adjourned for twelve weeks and there was no
record of the punishment given for this misdemeanour. The next two thefts
each involved groups of three boys. In the first instance the boys were
caught in the act of stealing 2/7d. Two of the culprits received twelve
months probation while the other boy was fined 15/-. Toys were stolen in the
other theft and all the boys involved were sentenced to six months probation
by the Juvenile Court.
During the war years no thefts, either in the school or the local
community, were recorded but in 1948 another pupil was before the Juvenile
Court charged with shop breaking. His punishment was 12 months probation.
Further references of such anti-social behaviour were notable by their
absence, so perhaps lessons had, at last, been learned.
Far less serious were the self confessed offences of some past pupils.
Gordon Parsons recalled … ‘I was caned on the hands by him (Mr Sutton)
at least once - I can’t remember what for – and clearly remember how he
would stand with the cane wavering above his head, seemingly building up
force to bring it down. This was no doubt for effect but it certainly hurt.’
‘I wasn’t, I believe, a particularly naughty boy - despite the caning -
but I do remember in the Infants cutting off the plait of a little girl
with cutting out scissors and being so frightened by the inevitable and
understandable response from the teacher that I was relieved that my mother,
who had just delivered me to school, saw me in distress through the corridor
window and returned to find out what was going on. No doubt there were
repercussions ... but I do not recall any specific punishment.’
John Bird also has a lasting memory of his lapse in behaviour –
‘On one occasion a boy called Bobby Weake and I were assigned to
repairing the spines of books with gummed tape in the school library. We got
a little bored with the work and when Mr Sutton happened to look in we were
in a heap wrestling on the floor. Suffice to say we both had a firm rap of
the cane on each hand.’
Bernard Rainbow also had his failings –
‘I was caned by Mr Sutton for throttling another boy. I didn’t dare tell
my dad or I would have had another smack.’
Interestingly children were not the only miscreants; teachers and parents
and others also ‘stepped out of line’ on occasions.
One teacher was accused by a parent – ‘of referring to her son’s
appearance as Big Ears’ and just two days later the same teacher was
accused by a different parent of ... ‘Criticising the dress of her
daughter, calling her coatee that thing.’
Having received similar complaints from parents previously the teacher
was informed these latest objections would be logged. Surprisingly there
seemed to be no remorse about, or apology for, her actions as she responded
by saying ‘I don’t want to see it.’ After a period of sickness and
leave of absence to pursue an art qualification she moved to another school.
A final comment implied a certain amount of relief on the part of the
Head Teacher -
‘to be transferred… .. and her name removed from the staff of this
school’
There was no record of grossly unacceptable behaviour in the Infant
School records but Miss Hood did note the following adult ‘misbehaviours’.
"Mrs S. came to school yesterday and was extremely violent and rude
because her child Iris had been spoken to about coming to school in the
afternoon without being washed."
"..when they (the school meals) on Wednesday the car was driven across
the playground at a fast pace without an escort. The driver has bee told she
must wai9t to be escorted up the playground where children are playing."
