NRS-16965 | Punishment Books [Mirannie 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.The series from Mirannie Public School is currently represented by a single volume, in which are recorded all instances of corporal punishment occurring at the school from 1939 until the school’s closure in May, 1970.

1866年《公立学校法案》项下的相关条例，经教育委员会（Council of Education）于1867年2月27日正式通过，对校内学生的惩戒管理作出如下规定："在学生管理工作中，一切有辱人格且带有伤害性的惩戒手段均须被禁止。教师的管教应温和且坚定，态度须友善亲和，举止应从容积极以赢得学生信任，言行需严格合乎礼仪规范。教师虽不可姑息任何违纪行为，但其核心目标应是通过感化违纪者，从根源上避免惩戒的使用。"

关于体罚（Corporal punishment），该条例进一步明确："体罚仅可在极端情形下实施，且须作为最后惩戒手段；教师须留存完整记录，载明学生遭受体罚的时间、地点、惩戒强度以及违纪性质。"

为契合上述条例的合规要求，统一格式的惩戒登记簿逐渐得到推广。此类惩戒登记簿完整记录了校内所有对学生实施体罚的案例，所载详细信息包括：学生姓名、年龄、违纪性质、惩戒强度（即体罚次数）、处分下达者、惩戒实施日期以及具体执行惩戒的人员。

米拉尼公立学校（Mirannie Public School）的该系列档案目前仅存单册，其中完整收录了该校1939年至1970年5月停办期间所有体罚案例的相关记录。