I started school in February 1955 at the Holy Family School in Port Glasgow.
I lived at 49 Burnside Avenue
On my first day my mother took me to the old Monck school on Parkhill Avenue. This was a real treat for me as usually my mother was working. She ran a shop on Dubbs Road. We walked down Clune Brae that day. Thereafter I went with my brother Thomas and sister Catherine down Southfield Avenue til we reached the 'woods' then we maneuvered our way down an embankment, waded through a burn and trundled through the woods till we reached Parkhill Avenue and the school, feet covered in mud!
 
Several of the children were crying on that first morning, I was seated beside a girl who cried all wee for her mammy and 'oor Johnny' - her brother who was already in school.
 
My first teacher was Miss Elsie Docherty who was wonderful. The head mistress was Miss Strachan. Both were very kind. One morning when I was in room 3, two girls came in late for school and the class was overcrowded. I was sent to a class in the Church hall to continue my lessons.Basically I was moved up to room 4 my mother and father were very proud of me, however the Church hall was dark and dismal. No heating and certainly not conducive to learning like the classrooms of today.. Although my teacher Miss Duffy and the boys and girls were all great,I hated it. I yearned to be back in the main body of the school. I do remember the headmaster, Mr Mitchell, introduced the new concept of a late comers line. If you were late he waited in the playground and you received 2 strokes of the belt.
 
This school was not purpose build for education, it was old nissen huts left over from the war which were converted to classrooms due to the increasing population of upper Port Glasgow. Many of the old tenements in the lower Port were being demolished and new houses were built to accommodate the tenement folk. My mother was delighted as we had an indoor toilet and bathroom with our own 'midden' at the back door.
 
Around 1957/58, a new school was built further along Parkhill Avenue. It was opened in 1959. I started in room 9. Everything in the school looked so bright and shiney. We were all allocated our own cloakroom peg ( mine was 27) and you kept that till you left the school. Everything was so strict, walking in a straight line, no talking in the line and again the latecomers line continued with 2 of the strap and an accusation of being lazy and not being able to get out of bed! Mr Monaghan frequently told the kids to 'get to their beds early' before yielding the tawse down on their tiny hands.
 
I can remember several of the teachers, Miss Richardson, Miss Byrne, Mr Monaghan and Mr McGeehan. I felt I always ended up with the strictest of teachers. Mr Monaghan frightened the life out of me, he was strict and rarely smiled. He was the under head.
 
On a Friday, assembly was introduced. We all gathered in the school hall and listened to the headmaster talking about the weekly happenings. Usually it included items such as , pupils dropping litter in the playground, late coming and the forthcoming local bulb show. All pretty boring stuff. Once I fell asleep standing up during the assembly. We sang about 3 hymns accompanied by Mrs Rodden on the piano, one of which was always 'Hail Queen of Heaven' I think that was because Mrs Rodden's repertoire was very limited.
 
Another new concept was introduced to us. A school uniform! We had never had one before and now many of the pupils were dressed like clones in royal blue blazers, white shirts and the blue and white stripped tie. It was OK for those whose parents could afford to buy the blazer from the Co-op, or even get it on their 'book' and pay at the end of the 'Co quarter' however there were some who just couldn't afford it. Many of the children wore hand me downs and were very poor looking. They were often humiliated by being called up to the stage at assembly and shown off to the rest of the school as 'The boys who were letting the standard of the school down. God bless the boys, some of them didn't even know if they were going home to a cooked dinner, never mind a royal blue uniform.
 
We went to the swimming baths on a Tuesday, one week the girls went and the next week it was the boys turn. It was wonderful to get away from lessons for a while, especially if your teacher was Mr. M. or Mr McG. They and some other teachers seemed to take great delight in strapping children. I can't imagine giving a child of 11 six strokes of that leather belt and having a clear conscience about my actions, However it didn't seem to bother the teachers. Perhaps they weren't suited to their professions.
 
Sometimes Father O'Dwyre or Father Burke would come in for a chat. They were wonderful priests who taught about love and forgiveness, pity the teachers didn't listen more attentively. Father O' Dwyre was a softly spoken man with a soft of giggle in his voice. He called me 'Murph' on account of my mother's maiden name being Murphy. Father Burke was famous for his 'Hell fire and Brimstone' sermons in church, accusing men of drinking all their wages and not keeping their wives and children properly. Yet in the classroom he was compassionate and kind, made little jokes and loved talking to the boys about football and boxing.
 
My final teacher in the 'quali' was Miss Byrne. She was so underrated. The loveliest teacher I ever knew. She had a great love of books, poetry and the church, teaching us about the saints and Blessed Margaret Sinclair whom she encouraged us to pray to so that she would be the first Scottish Saint.
 
Leaving primary school was a wonderful day for me. So many of us were misunderstood by teachers who lacked experience in communicating with children How I envy the kids of today.
 
I can't remember leaving the Holy Family ( probably couldn't get out fast enough) but I do remember looking forward to going to the Big School in Greenock. Sadly St Columba's School didn't bowl me over either. All that strapping and fear didn't appeal to me.
 
I did however go into further education years after leaving school and managed to gather some qualifications. Perhaps the grey matter was there after all, lying there untapped! Well that belt just about scared the living daylights out of me and I think that had much to do with it. Many of the children still lived in poverty, poor housing, unemployed parents, poor diet and lack of self esteem so I doubt the belt acted as encouragement to them either. Everyone was taught at the same level, there was little or no allowances made for intelligence levels, dyslexia or personal difficulties. One boy who was in my class was off school for over a year with polio and when he returned he wore a caliper. His young brother was accidently drowned in the Clyde just off the Coronation Park. Yet in school he was still belted, I cannot think of a more cruel action from teachers, lack of sympathy, empathy and human kindness.
 
Would I like to return to my school days - NEVER.
I always swore I'd catch up with one particular teacher who was physically abusive to many of us. One day I was walking along Greenock town centre and I saw him. Years of wielding that strap had obviously worn him out. He was a wee old man who looked as though he wouldn't harm a fly. What could I do, I couldn't stop him and challenge him, if I had I'd be just like him! I walked past and counted my blessings.
 

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School Memories

This page last modified on Wednesday, February 28, 2007

From Elizabeth Barnes(McGhee)