Southwest Academy Grey Street
Dear parent,
The summer holidays are approaching and I would like to wish you well. The academy is very happy with the performance of your son this term. We pride ourselves on providing a disciplined atmosphere in which students can acieve their best. A vital part of this discipline is corporal punishment which we have found is crucial to a boy's character development.
We would strongly recommend therefore that during the long summer months you would also maintain this method of discipline. Through our suppliers we can provide you at a special price with a school cane and or strap of required.
However a number of other easily obtained implements would do very well instead for example a leather belt a length of rope a flexible branch (a visit to you local park is sure to provide you with a suitable fallen branch- a thin supple one would be most suitable)
If you have any enquiries please do not hesitate to conatact me.
Yours Sincerely
John Stokes Headmaster
Mr Stokes received the following reply
Dear Mr Stokes, thank you for your letter, I am strongly inclined to do as you suggest but I just have a couple of questions.
I have two sons at the Academy aged 17 and 18. Do you think they are too old for this type of punishment?
Secondly if they need to be punished do you recommend that I punish them together of separately?
Finally do you think a beating on the bare backside is correct?
many thanks
William Shore
Mr Stokes replied
Dear Mr Shore,
Thank you for your letter. In reference to the three points you raised:
I do not think your sons are too old at 17 or 18.This is a very important time between boyhood and manhood and boys this age are in particular need of boundaries.
If your sons are being punished for misbehaviour which they were jointly involved in then I would think it best to punish them together. They could bend over side by side and receive alternate strokes of the cane.
If however they are being punished for separate misbehaviour then I would recommend they be punished privately by you. It would do no harm however for the second boy to wait outside and hear his brother's beating in progress.
Finally the issue of beating on the bare backside. I as headmaster never aminister punishment in this way but as the father son relationshipo is much closer that teacher pupil it would be quite natural for you to ask the boys to drop both trousers and underwear. I would think however that this punishment would be keptin reserve for more serious misdeeds.
Yours sincerely
John Stokes