Did you ever do this? Did you get caught?
When I got to age 14 (going on 15) I used to bunk off about every couple of months.
The system was that you went into your “own” class for registration morning and afternoon. Then you went off to whatever class you were timetabled for. It was assumed that you would then go where you were supposed to go. Even if s/he noted your absence the teacher of that class would take it for granted that as registration had occurred any absences were noted and dealt with. With the corridors filled with kids on the move to their respective classes it was easy to hide in the toilet and then sneak out as soon as it was quiet.
We only ever bunked off in the afternoons. Two of us had working mothers, so we took it in turns to go to one another’s houses. Occasionally we got the bus into the city and walked around the shops. Only once were we ever challenged by a nosy sales assistant as to why we were not in school. We told her that we had been sent to purchase supplies for our final year sewing project and of course we were believed. We were both top of our class in several subjects and knew that we were not going to fail our GCE. We planned our absences carefully so as to fly under the radar.
As soon as the GCE results came out there seemed very little point in going into school so we bunked off even more. There were no smart phones or email back in the late 1950s/1960s for the school or our parents to keep track of us. So we mainly got off with it.
No I liked school, on the whole. In any case it would have been noticed.
I was very good at getting out of games, though, and in junior school I used to get out of answering maths questions by asking to “be excused” (ie go to the loo) just before my turn to answer. I was shocked to discover this didn’t work in the seniors.
I might have bunked off, just to get away from the bullies, LA, LB and DW, if our school hadn’t been 5 miles away down narrow country lanes. I got there and back by school bus. If you walked down the school drive and past about 50 houses there was public transport, but the risk of being seen and the lack of bus fare stopped that. As it was, I loved any lessons where we had to sit in alphabet order.
Never even entered my head to “skive”school as we called it..
What a dreadful story Kate. You have written before about your dreadful childhood. So sorry.
I never bunked off. I quite enjoyed school.
Sorry Grannywn. Apparently it was because I showed him up by bringing the school board man to the door.
Kate1949 how awful for you. I felt sick reading your post 💐
A fellow teacher rang in sick one summer day and was promptly spotted by several staff room tennis fans sitting watching a match at Centre Court in Wimbledon...
I did it once. When I started grammar school, I hated it. I felt out of my depth. I got the bus one morning and an older girl from my school asked me how I like it. I said I hated it. She said 'Why don't we not go?' We spent the day in town.
Unfortunately the school board man went to my house a while later. My 'father' beat me up so badly that I had to have time off school until my cuts and bruises healed.
We were taken to the headmaster and I got most of the blame as the other girl cried and I didn't. He said he wouldn't expel us on this I occasion.
Never did, not crossed my mind. We lived in a small village, and in those days we had school inspectors, who would come knocking if child not in school. Remember answering the door, covered in spots, but checking kids are OK is no bad thing.
I didn’t miss lessons but in the sixth form of my Fife high school, some of us regularly left the school grounds when we had free periods and headed for a local cafe. The school must have seen us leaving but no one ever queried it. There was a tuck shop too, just across the road, selling sausage rolls, cream buns, bridies and single cigarettes. Mind you, in those days if you were caught doing wrong the teachers all freely used the belt (or tawse).
Our expression for bunking off was ticking school I don't know why?
Yes, regularly after I turned about 14. I hated school (ironic, I'm a teacher now). Only ever got caught once, coming back into school. Should have stayed off all day!
I bunked off regularly when I got to sixteen and never got caught. It was beyond my comprehension why, if I was old enough to have a baby, or get married I was treated exactly like a small child at school. I also hated having to stand around in the cold and rain for "games". Looking back I think a lot of my absenteeism was driven by sadistic teachers rather than rebellion.
Yes - in the sixth form when we had free periods and didn't wear uniform.
Joseanne you were fortunate. My brother bunked off when he was 14 or so. As both parents were teachers we were well-known in our town and someone had told Mum before the end of the school day! It was a rather uncomfortable evening at home!
No but I hated it so much I left as soon as I was allowed by law.My parents and the head teacher thought they were being clever telling me I had to get a job by the end of the Christmas holidays or be back at school on that day.I had 6 interviews in a week and took the first job I was offered .I started the day the school went back .
Was in that industry all my life and loved every minute of it .
Probably best not to write too much here or my reputation as a shining Head Girl would be tarnished! But yes, from the age of 14 plus. Not to do anything terrible as such, I think I was just interested in the thrills of the outside world. (London).
My mother was deputy Head at a neighbouring school, I don't think she ever found out!
No never, I've been in the sick bay a few times when there were French tests because I got so worked up. The teacher twigged and gave us the test as a surprise when least expected,
Some girls I knew bunked off to go and see the Stones at the nearest city , that night they were on TV.at the front of the queue and had to suffer a long time for doing it.
DH bunked off from school and took two friends to play on the local very busy docks, he never got invited to their birthday parties again.
My cousin bunked off two days after starting school she went after registration and took a route through country lanes when my gran who looked after she got home she was sitting on the step.
Our school went comprehensive and after registration we were supposed to go off to classes but bunked off. Initially it was just to sit in the toilets how exciting! we got daring and left the school grounds. One of the girls we bunked off with became a well known public figure. Another group bunked off school they were boys one became a well known footballer but they shall remain nameless.
We even went to the shops and stole sweets etc I don’t know how I had the nerve because my parents were quite strict. I think no…I know I was was doing it as a dare I was rather rebellious. I was caught stupidly taking chocolates and eating them as I walked around the shop.
That ended my sagging school days I was worried about my parents finding out. The woman who caught me eating the chocolates said if I stayed in school it wouldn’t go any further. I literally took her by her word and stayed in school and behaved and was better for it. Academically I made up for the lost days sagging school and I did very well for myself. The woman who gave a a chance to improve my behaviour as a rebellious teenager certainly did me a favour.
Yes. Me and my mate AK used to nip out at the dinner hour and go into town, maybe buy a record or make up in Woolworth's. We eventually got caught out and got caned (across the hands for girls and on the behind for boys) didn't stop me though...I hated school
No never bunked off, but when I was in the VI Form I did bunk off hockey. The school didn't have a lot of land, so once a week hired public playing fields about half a mile away. We were walked there at a leg cracking pace and it had no changing rooms and we FROZE.
In the VI form, a friend and I appointed ourselves 'hockey monitors' and would walk round the school chasing up all the laggards, by the time that was done, it was too late for us to walk down there, all the games would have started, so we secreted ourselves, quietly into a corner of the Lebrary - no permanenet Librarian.
It worked for over a year, but we were eventually caught and sent off to join the others.
I didn't 'bunk off' either . Like Blondiescot I was too afraid of incurring the wrath of my mother, she was the disciplinarian in our house.
Not sure if it was exactly bunking off but in Sixth Form Friday afternoons were P.E. and we had the most revolting little PE teacher, a short, twee, catty little woman who was 'ever so sweet' not and her lessons were horrible. As I was carrying a fourth A level, I used to leave the message that I had to study in the library in town to get some books for my extra A level. Walking away from the school on those afternoons was like stepping onto a cloud of freedom. I usually ended up in the local Wimpy having a milk shake and getting the bus home early but it was certainly much nicer than spending time in that woman's lessons at 17.
I did it once by accident as an 8 year old. My school was 1.5 miles from home and I ran home every day for lunch . Only that day I ran straight out when the 10am playtime bell rang. Ran all the way home and into the house and scared the living daylights out of my poor Mum. 60 years on I can still remember feeling totally bewildered when I realised what I’d done. My Dad had just gone to bed after his night shift and got back up when he heard the voices. He took me back to school after lunchtime and I was mortified.
Marydoll
When I was in sixth year we went into town on a free period.
Someone had seen us and phoned the school, not because we weren't in school, but because we weren't wearing our hats!
We were allowed out at lunch time but only if we wore our blazers and berets; and we were Never to be seen eating in school uniform.....
When I was in sixth year we went into town on a free period.
Someone had seen us and phoned the school, not because we weren't in school, but because we weren't wearing our hats!
Registering is free, easy, and means you can join the discussion, watch threads and lots more.
Register now »Already registered? Log in with:
Gransnet »Get our top conversations, latest advice, fantastic competitions, and more, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
