When I was about nine my family moved close to the Scottish border and my sister and I both went to school in Gretna Green which was just across the Scottish border, inside Scotland. Evidently the rules were different up there because the teachers were allowed to hit us. Punishment was holding your hand out and the teacher would hit it with a leather strap. My sister's teacher was nicknamed 'Killer Munroe' -- she was so terrified of him she did EVERTYHING right to avoid even the possibility of a belt. I was a good student and did well, except for one fateful day when I had more than two errors on my spelling test and was hauled out in front of the class - along with the LOSERS - to extend my hand for 'the belt'. I know the teacher was light on me because I was a teacher's pet but don't know what hurt worse - the hit or the humiliation.

Every week we would change our seats according to our rank in class. The desk furthest back to the right went to the best student and on down to the front -- nearly always in front of the class was a little kid with a huge strawberry birthmark on his face who received 'the belt' virtually daily.........; we smarty pants sat on the back row and just changed our seats amongst ourselves.

What a system!!!!! And this was not in a Catholic school - this was a regular public school.....