I'm amazed at how much schools have changed since I left back in the mid 1980s. I went to St Pat's at Strathfield and they were certainly very different times. I'll admit that in reality I did stuff-all homework and generally didn't like being at school. I got my fair share of the strap, which in my opinion is a far more brutal weapon than the stick. Straps were heavy and where a stick just left a red mark and a sharp sting, a strap actually jarred your bones and there were times when I came home from school with bruises where my fingers joined my palms. On a couple of occasions I was even able to see the imprint the stiches around the edge of the strap left.

It really depended on who was handing out the punishment too. Some teachers gave it harder than others and six off one teacher could easily hurt less than two off another. The brothers generally gave it harder than the lay teachers. It was funny though - you'd cop a belting for homework or calling out or whatever and if it came from a bastard of a teacher you were elevated amongst your peers for being brave.

Punishments aren't the only thing that has changed though. When I went to work at a similar private school back in 2006 I was gobsmacked. Video projectors, stereo systems and electronic whiteboards in just about every classroom - and no more platforms! When I was at school every classroom had a platform for the teacher to stand on and look down over the class. The more sadistic ones also used them to gain extra height when swinging the strap. No more rows of coat hooks around the room and the old schoolhouse light fittings are now 2 x 40 watt fluoros.

Oak Hill College.
Those straps were cut off pieces of truck tyres! Thats what they were made from. Well it has had an effect on me ! I only like to wear black shoes ! Which are becoming very hard to buy in the form of a sneaker.
They're all bright flashy colours and suit rapper's now!
Pete

Same period or maybe a little earlier.

Cabramatta West Public school (primary) - one example:

Psychopathic deputy principal (I guess it's safe to name him - Smith.) would spend about half his time caning kids.

One kid got the name "Caneproof Harris" - Smith was known to cane him several times a day.

Several cohorts of Caneproof and victims of Smith did hard time some years later for pack rape.

And you think the Catholic schools were bad??

This picture was in my high school yearbook. Don't know the story behind this, why there was a missing toilet in the boys' room.
Probably it was blown up by an M80 firecracker.

In my secondary school we had a "Dean of Discipline" who's job it was to dish out corporal punishment as required. He had a coat locker with all his canes, straps etc which we snuck in and took a peek at one day just to prove it actually existed. He took way to much delight in administering his punishments and would probably be up on charges these days. He used to patrol the hallways looking for students who had been evicted from the classroom for some misbehaviour. I found you could squeeze between lockers to avoid detection. Didn't always work though. Very scary man.

As for crackers, I spent many a very happy day blowing things up, sending cans soaring into the air or even throwing them off the pier into the water and watching them make smoke bubbles under water. That took precise timing and risked it going off in your hand. Still got ten fingers though!

Different world.