What was school like back then?

I started school in 1942 when I was only 4 and left 11 years later. Most of us finished at age 15 in those days.

Teachers came armed with bamboo canes which they wielded enthusiastically, mostly across the hands. "Six of the best" was the top punishment and if they only gave you one hit they weren't very serious about it and you counted yourself lucky.

The curriculum was based on the "three Rs" (reading, writing and 'rithmetic) and, believe it or not, we actually finished our schooling with a reasonable amount of knowledge.

There was lots of homework and lots of rote learning, Not perfect, of course, but effective.

My favourite teacher: Miss Pretty. Well, Miss Lawson, actually, who was my teacher when I was 7. I think she was my first romance but, alas, I never told her. I hope she had a wonderful life.

There were no co-ed schools in Australia in the 1940s and 50s. Boys went to boys' schools and girls had their own -- where they learned all manner of useful things like typing, sewing, cooking and all those things necessary for them to pursue a career as a wife.

Fortunately, things have changed.

In grade school, I sat right next to Fred Flintstone. We helped each other to learn to chisel our names in the stone tablets we used.

I gotpaddled everday for all the pranks I pulled i. Elemetary and junior high but it never stopped me

Stricter. School uniform, girls wore skirts or dresses/pinifores, boys wore trousers or shorts. In primary and infant school we had P.E in just our navy knickers!

No doors on nursery and infant toilets.

Swimming pool was made of asbestos and as deep as your waist, swimming hats were a must.

The cane. If no cane available look out for flying boot, chalk rubber or chalk (basket ball in games). Dunces hats, made to stand in the corner facing the wall.

Had to run in the snow with just a netball skirt and polo shirt in secondary school.

We had to have naked showers. (We were on our period alot).

We had sewing, cooking, (Home Economics), and metal and woodwork for both sexes.

We had Maypole dancing.

We sung religious songs in assembly and sat crossed legged on the wooden floors.

Our desks had lids and ink wells.

We kept our books in our desks. No computers.

In secondary school we had to lug all our books round and our P.E kit.

School dinners were actually properly cooked food, no addictives, preservatives and gmo. Spotty Dick and custard, bread and butter pudding and Jam Roly Poly.

We had bottles of milk to drink in the morning until Maggie Thatcher the milk snatcher took them away.

Our pottery smocks were our dads old shirt put on backwards.

Played hopscotch and skipping.

We typed on typewriters (not electric). 

Sewed our names onto our clothing. We had a "nit nurse," who use to check our hair for lice.

We learned about the green cross code and "strangers." I was in the Tufty Club.

http://www.scarysquirrel.org/tufty/tuftyclub/

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=w_Ry9tiz9_c