NRS-16850 | Punishment Book [Hebden Public School]

Regulations under the Public Schools Act of 1866, adopted by the Council [of Education] 27 February 1867 regulated the punishment of children in schools by stipulating: “In the government of the pupils, all degrading and injurious punishments are to be avoided. The Teacher’s discipline must be mild but firm, his manner kindly, his demeanour cheerful and calculated to gain the confidence of his pupils, and his language marked by strict propriety. While he should overlook no offence, his aim should be to prevent the necessity for punishment by the improvement of the offender.”In relation to corporal punishment the regulations continue: “Corporal punishment should be inflicted in extreme cases only, and then as a last resource; and the teacher must keep a record of the time and place at which pupils were corporally chastised, the amount of such punishment and the nature of the offence.” Uniform stationery soon evolved to enable compliance with these regulations. These punishment books are registers of all cases in which corporal punishment was given to pupils. The information it details includes: the pupil’s name; age; nature of offence; amount of punishment (i.e. number of strokes); by whom sent; the date of the punishment; and by whom the punishment was inflicted. Punishment books were usually sighted and signed by the Inspector during the regular inspection of the school.

1866年《公立学校法案》（Public Schools Act）项下的监管条例，经教育委员会（Council of Education）于1867年2月27日表决通过，对学校内儿童的惩戒行为作出系统性规范，其中明确载明：“在学生管理工作中，应杜绝一切侮辱性与伤害性惩戒手段。教师的管教方式需温和且坚定，态度和蔼可亲，举止明快爽朗以赢得学生的信任，其言语表达需严谨得体。教师虽不应姑息任何违纪行为，但其核心目标应是通过感化违纪者，从根源上规避惩戒的必要性。”关于体罚（Corporal punishment），条例进一步补充规定：“体罚仅可在极端情形下实施，且需作为最后的处置手段；教师必须留存完整记录，载明学生遭受体罚的具体时间、地点、惩戒强度及违纪性质。”为满足该条例的合规要求，统一格式的惩戒记录册随即发展而来。此类惩戒记录簿为所有体罚案例的官方登记档案，其所记载的信息包括：学生姓名、年龄、违纪性质、惩戒强度（即鞭笞次数）、惩戒指令发出者、惩戒实施日期以及具体执行惩戒者。惩戒记录簿通常需在学校常规视导过程中，由教育视导员（Inspector）查阅并签字确认。