Arusha School Awards

[Matthew Hopson]

I found this the other day in an old book. Does anyone else remember receiving these awards. I seem  only to remember being wacked on a regular basis!!

[mikewb]

I don't think I received any awards, but I received the tacky a few times.
Regards
Mike Brown.

[Shaun Conner]

I have got loads of those from the mid 60's not for distinguishing myself at anythng but for "trying hard at maths" or something like that! In fact i have quite a bit of memorabilia i must put on the site. I have a Sports day programme from 1965 and lots of pics of swimming races etc. Bet there are people on this site who are in the photos.

[lollyulyate]

Hidings were given using anything to hand...takkie, thin leather belt ( from experience) rulers flat & side on!!  or worse ears pulled, the Swahili teacher was the worst!!
Awards my one & only for Bible Study & Rushbrook was headmaster , sadly it was lost when my parcels "went astray".

[Peter Woodrow]

   
 Those award slips bring back memories.  They were rather like a tear- off receipt .I think they were dished out fortnightly at morning assemblies as well as termly. In Coronation year (1953) they were accompanied by small booklets about the coronation and the regalia. The Coronation itself was memorable with a parade on the Arusha  sports ground, mugs and badges for all children and a firework display on the playing field between the school gates and the junior block in the evening.I digress a bit but remember chanting "Into the gates of misery" on the bus on the way in at the beginning of term and "Out of the gates of misery" as it sped out en route to Dodoma at the end?

[Ashdown]

I only recall the end of year (or exam?) prizes i.e. for being 1st, 2nd etc in class - which were books. I have now misplaced them but I got a book of dinosaurs, the Dunlop Book of Facts and Tales of the Norse Gods & Heroes - perhaps others - they had the school badge on a label stuck inside.

In terms of the taki - this was on the bare behind in Junior House, with no limit on the number of blows, all of which was appalling; after that, Snr House shoe on trousers was almost a laugh except when (a) Mrs Kikides felt (probably rightly) it wasn't effective and in frustration got us to pull down trousers, leaving just the underpants in place to protect our modesty (b) when my brother got caned with a bamboo by a certain Mrs Rushbrooke, in front of the whole senior school, something I will never forgive or forget.

[mikewb]

Yes Mrs Rushbrooke, she was evil. I think there would be a few people who would like to meet her again.

[Naiomi Benn]

Yes I received quite a few of them which my mother put in an album together with my school reports.  David Nettlebeck was the headmaster at the time of your note.  He ended up becoming my headmaster at Moshi International for the short time that I was there.

[Peter Woodrow]

 In the early 50s the takki (frequently) or cane (much less so and usually only by Hamshere) were for disciplinary things, often very small with talking during afternoon rest being the most common. When I went to the UK (Junior King's , Canterbury) it was much worse. No takki. Just the cane for everything from the trivial to being late 3 times, being cheeky to a house captain but above all for work deficiencies. At the senior school even low marks in a test could get you a beating. In comparaison Arusha looked like a humane bed of roses and the children there were certainly much more free without a plethora of often absurd rules and generally free ranging. Catering for both boys and girls was a big plus and did much to humanise it. At segregated  UK prep schools girls were seldom mentioned and King's Canterbury ,contact-termed "wenching" by the Headmaster,- was discouraged right through to the top of the senior school.Awful! Generally speaking we were lucky to be at Arusha and experience something very different. that picture on the original postings of children walking round the overturned EAR bus says it all. Those safaris to and from school were a great adventure,- and we were actually all very small at the time.

[Ashdown]

Very interesting, and completely at odds with my own experience. My recollection of going from an English primary school (St Margarets in Rottingdean) in 1963 to Arusha was like going to a POW camp - daily beatings by sadistic, sexual devients (as I now see them) which scarred us literally, of course, but perhaps emotionally too ... it's time someone spoke up about this. It cont'd at Nairobi School until basically the colonials were all sent packing back where they belonged.

[mikewb]

In reply to Ashdown, re Very interesting,
I have no idea as to what you are talking about, please explain. Time I was at Arusha School was strict but???  daily beatings, POW camp?
I don't think so.

[lollyulyate]

I stand by you Michael on that one. Hidings were given when asked for!!! POW camp ,my foot!!! It is a pity a lot more kids of today are not given that discipline!! In saying that, i dont agree to "hidden" sexual abuses that some kids had in those years & every child has a right but & i mean a BIG BUT!!! Todays kids have no social skills, undisciplined, attitude & peer pressure orientated........i could go on.

[Shaun Conner]

I have to say i have no recollection of Arusha School being anything like a POW camp nor do i remember me or anybody else having daily beatings! I can only assume you are either talking about another place altogether or its just gross exageration! As for sexual devients dishing out the beatings you will have to explain that one, sounds like you rather enjoyed it!

[Michael Murphy]

I was interested to read your comments on corporal punishment at Arusha School.   I went to Mbeya School in 1952/53 where both the boys and the girls were regularly caned by the Headmaster on the bare bottom.   The general opinion was that not only did he enjoy doing it, but that some of us, boys and girls, went out of our way to get caned !   I would be very interested to hear other opinions on this.
Michael Murphy.

[Shaun Conner]

Not in my day at Arusha School, 1964-1966. I doubt there would be any interest nin the place at all or this site if there was that sort nof going on all the time. Punishment where its due is fine, cant recall it being otherwise.