Corpun file 25047 at www.corpun.com
Daily Express, London, 22 March 1962, p.11
Fifty no-cap boys get caning
Express Staff Reporter
FIFTY schoolboys were lined up outside a master's study yesterday and were caned one by one -- for not wearing their caps to school.
Two masters at the Peckham Manor School, Peckham, London, did the caning. Younger boys were given two and three strokes each.
But two prefects each got six and had their badges confiscated.
As each boy left the study he was warned: "Don't be caught without your cap in future. It's against school rules."
'Surprise'
Last night the head master of the 1,200-boy comprehensive school, Mr. J.H. Matthews, refused to comment on the mass caning.
After school there were several boys not wearing the black cap.
But one fifth-former said: "Most of the lads will have their caps on in the morning.
"We were taken by surprise when prefects were posted outside the gates.
"But we know we should wear our caps. We have been warned before."
Corpun file 25048 at www.corpun.com
Daily Express, London, 29 March 1962, p.9
Cap-feud schoolboys line up for caning No. 2
By Donald Cameron
TO the swishing and thwacking of canes the feud of the Peckham Manor school cap entered round two yesterday.
And the winner was head master Mr. J.H. "Minnie" Matthews: there were 30 smarting scholars to prove it.
Mr. Matthews believes in uniform for the 1,200 boys of his South London comprehensive school -- particularly the black school cap with its purple button on top and its four-quartered red-and-white badge.
Last week more than 50 boys who arrived without caps at the school in Peckham-road were lined up outside a master's study for a caning.
Younger boys were given two or three strokes; two older boys got six apiece.
There were grumbles among the boys. "Stop this caning" slogans were chalked on walls of the school.
But Mr. Matthews warned he would continue his spot-checks.
Names taken
Yesterday he struck again. Monitors took the names of the 30 capless arrivals. Two masters carried out sentence.
Afterwards the head would say only that some boys had been punished for other breaches besides the cap rule.
A London County Council official said: "Corporal punishment and uniform wearing are at the discretion of the head."
The boys coming out of school last night were more vocal. "It didn't half hurt," said one.
A chubby 13-year-old admitted: "We were given fair warning. But what happens when you get your cap pinched?"
Nearly all the boys prudently wore caps. But a bare-headed defiant one promised the feud would continue.
He said: "You can't be a sharp dresser and wear a school cap at the same time."
Follow-up: 13 April 1962 - Caning 'outrage' in class 4G
