When Teachers Attacked

Physical punishments were freely applied

A class from the past (Photo by Museums Victoria on Unsplash)

I once watched the 1970 film Kes with my (then) girlfriend, who was three decades my junior. She was aghast at how much bullying went on in the film, not between pupils, but from staff. I considered it a fairly accurate representation of school life in the 1970s.

In the film, cuffs across the head are routinely dished out to pupils by teachers. Shouting and demeaning are also prevalent throughout, and, of course, the cane is wielded frequently.

But the daddy of them all, the bully-in-chief, if you will, is the sports teacher Mr Sugden, brilliantly portrayed by Brian Glover. Sugden leads the film’s central character, Billy Casper, and his classmates onto the school playing field for a game of football.

Win the Game at Any Cost

Kitted out in a pristine Manchester United strip, Sugden plays a dual role during the game; centre-forward for his team, and referee. On this teacher’s list of priorities, the development of his charges’ footballing skills, and the advancement of their athleticism lie some way behind his main objective, which is to win the game at any cost.

We get an early insight into Sugden’s desire for victory before a ball has been kicked, when he decides, which goal his team will…