Autobiography 8: What goes around comes around!

It took me quite some time to settle down as a boarding student at Coláiste Chiaráin, and it wasn't easy in a few ways. Without a doubt, it was cold in the winter, especially in our large dorms, because although there were radiators on the walls, there was no heat in the middle of those rooms. We only had light blankets on our beds, and cold water in our wash basins. The food we got in the refectory was not tasty, except for the desserts! But after a while I got used to those difficulties and after a while they didn't bother me. Unfortunately, I was a small, fragile boy. Therefore, I could not play hurling well as a team member, and whenever I tried, I got injured. But I loved to play handball, because it's not a contact sport. I was a pretty good player, and I really enjoyed that sport during my time in secondary school. The bullies at home were not able to enter the school grounds, and that was a big advantage. I was never bullied at Coláiste Chiaráin, and I think it didn't hurt that my father taught at the same school.

Teachers and Subjects

In primary school,we had only one teacher and we studied a few subjects in primary school - Irish, English, Interests and Religion. To tell the truth, it was too easy for me, and I was fed up with it. It was not like that at Coláiste Chiaráin at all. We had many subjects: Irish, English, Latin, Greek, French, Science, History, Geography, Art and Civics. I really liked all the subjects, and I loved learning all kinds of things. Between one class and the next, we used to have a little break, and when we returned to our classroom, another teacher would be waiting for us to teach us his subject. Each subject presented different challenges, and I could not contain my natural curiosity. I loved using my imagination and seeing pictures with my mind. We had a lot to learn by heart as part of our education, but I wasn't overly impressed with that aspect of it. I would rather understand the reasons and logic behind the information.

The enthusiasm of most of the teachers really inspired me, because they put their hearts and souls into teaching, and that was contagious. Those teachers did not use any corporal punishment because they had the skills to do a great job. That was a source of joy for us, and we were really looking forward to the classes with those teachers. Unfortunately, corporal punishment was common in Ireland at the time, even though it broke the rules of the education department. From my own experience, a few teachers felt that what they were teaching was not for the benefit of the students and often they had no interest in the subject they were teaching either. They would use the rod to force us to pay attention to them because they were rotten as teachers.

Noel's Story

I had one friend at the start at school – his name was Noel. He was a very smart boy, very strong, headstrong even. Well, we had a Latin teacher who liked to use corporal punishment a lot. At the end of each class, he would write vocabulary on the blackboard, followed by a number - 1, 2 or 4. That's how many strokes you would get for each word you got wrong in the exam that would take place in the next class. I well remember the slaughter that used to happen every class. The teacher was soon sweating from the work of administering the cane to the students, and a line of them waiting their turn. Looking back now, it was a barbaric, brutal and unbelievable act. Whatever happened him, Noel got a few wrong at the start of the term, and he was beaten badly. Everything was a mess then, and Noel started a peaceful counter-campaign in protest.

I think Noel didn't study for class from then on. He was beaten badly at the beginning of every class, and I remember him getting 32 strokes, and that happened more than once. But Noel was a very determined boy, and the more he was hit, the less he studied, despite the fact that we had the same teacher for three years! The stubborn teacher didn't stop his beating, either. But the teacher failed to break Noel down, and in that way, Noel thwarted him.

After the Leaving Certificate examination, Noel attended university, graduating with a bachelor of arts degree. He became a primary teacher as his profession and after a while he was appointed as the principal of the school. There’s no need for me to say that he never laid a hand on a child! But there is another twist in the story. One day, when Noel was in his thirties, there was a knock on his door. He opened it, and who was it but his former Latin teacher! The teacher did not recognize the former student whom he physically and mentally tortured at school. But Noel recognized his tormentor instantly! His nemesis began to speak. He was standing as a candidate in a local election and trying to attract votes. "Can I count on you to cast your vote for me?" he asked Noel.

"Well," said Noel, "If you were the last person left in the universe, I wouldn't give you my vote. Go now, you loafer, and never come back here!” His teacher was left speechless, and then he finally recognized his former student. But before he had a chance to say another word, Noel closed the door in his face. As the old saying goes: what goes around comes around!

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