NRS-16752 | Punishment Book [Dartbrook 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 Dartbrook Public School [II] consists of a single volume, which covers the entire nineteen years of the school’s operation. During this period, only eight cases of corporal punishment are recorded as having been administered: three on the same day in 1955, one in 1963, and four in the course of 1964. The book has been signed as having been viewed by the Inspector in 1955 and at regular intervals between 1958 and 1971.

1866年《公立学校法》（Public Schools Act of 1866）项下的条例，经教育委员会（Council of Education）于1867年2月27日正式通过，对学校内儿童的惩戒管理作出规范，其中明确规定：“在管理学生时，一切有辱人格且具有伤害性的惩戒方式均应予以避免。教师的管教需温和而坚定，态度和蔼可亲，举止乐观积极，以赢得学生的信任；其言谈举止需严格恪守礼仪规范。教师虽不应姑息任何违纪行为，但其核心目标应是通过矫正违纪者的行为，从根源上避免实施惩戒的必要。”针对体罚（corporal punishment），该条例进一步作出规定：“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、惩戒强度与违纪性质。”为便于遵循上述条例，统一制式的惩戒登记册很快得以推广使用。此类惩戒登记簿系对所有对学生实施体罚的案件的记录，其载明的信息包括：学生姓名、年龄、违纪性质、惩戒强度（即鞭打次数）、下令实施惩戒的主体、惩戒实施日期以及实施惩戒者。达特布鲁克公立学校[第二辑]（Dartbrook Public School [II]）的相关档案系列仅包含单一册本，完整覆盖该校办学的全部十九年周期。在此办学周期内，仅记录有八起体罚案件：1955年同一天内实施三起，1963年一起，1964年全年共四起。该册本经批注确认，已于1955年以及1958年至1971年期间的固定时段接受了学校督察员的核查。