Sunday, March 02, 2014
-
Tales of Sore Tails - Volume 1
Published: Jan 04, 2014
Words: 24,123
Category: general
Orientation: M/F, F/F
Click HERE for further details and purchase options.
OPENING EXTRACT
A New Regime
The well-dressed lady, a little pink in the cheeks, came through the front door of St Angela's School for Girls, paused to look around and then went up to the Reception Desk.
"I have an appointment with Miss Montague."
The secretary looked at the diary in front of her. "Mrs Bartholomew is it? If you just follow me I'll take you along." She came out of the little office, smiled at the lady brightly and walked along a corridor a little way before stopping at a door. Holding it open for the visitor she smiled again. "If you would like to wait in here Mrs Bartholomew I will let Miss Montague know you have arrived."
Carol Bartholomew went in and took a seat in a comfortable waiting room. She was a strange mixture of extreme nervousness and tense fury. The fury was directed at her 18 year-old daughter, Elizabeth, a pupil at the school. The nervousness was about what was about to happen. Neither of these emotions eased in any way as she waited for what seemed a long time. Then when the door opened, it was only the secretary again, shepherding another visitor into the room. That was the last thing she wanted. The newcomer looked at her and smiled a little. Carol didn't recognise her and she looked on the young side to be a parent so she assumed her to be there on different business entirely.
Beyond exchanging thin smiles neither woman spoke, and Carol continued to seethe quietly to herself. It was the damn government's fault she thought. They were a bunch of lily livered politicians. If it hadn't been for them that letter would never have been written. Although it was almost six months since it had arrived she had read it so many times now she could almost recite it.
"Dear Colonel and Mrs. Bartholomew,
I am writing to all parents to inform them of the implications of the recent Act of Parliament abolishing corporal punishment in schools and to present to you a proposal from the Board of Governors relating to these implications for St Angela's.
As I am sure you will be aware from press coverage of the matter, corporal punishment in educational establishments in this country must cease by the end of the current academic year. St Angela's has, with enormous support from parents, always prided itself on the traditional approach to discipline but will have no choice but to comply reluctantly with this legislation. Not to do so would risk closure by the authorities.
The Governors have spent a great deal of time considering the implications for the school of the new legislation. Clearly we are greatly concerned about the potential for discipline at the school to become unacceptably lax once the remedy of corporal punishment has been removed. The Governors feel certain that all parents will share these concerns. A possible solution to the problem has been formulated but as it is a radical measure it has been thought wise to present it to parents and discover if it would have their support.