School rules, regulations, and customs have certainly changed over time, but how much? Recently, Redditor u/ladidadi82 asked members of the Reddit Community to share common, everyday school experiences from “back then” that are not allowed today, and some of them are wild. Here are some answers that, depending on your age, will make you explore your school memories or live in deep panic:
1.“Girls had to wear dresses or skirts to school until the mid-’70s.”
2.“We were allowed to bring guns to school as long as they stayed in your car or you had a letter from a teacher in the building that allowed it. It was common among kids who hunted after school.”
– Think 48
3.“Anyone can walk into the school, call themselves your parent, your relative, or someone you know, and go with you. No questions asked.”
4.“Teachers were allowed to discipline the students by punishment. Some teachers were proud of their rowing equipment in a row on top of the board. The boards had better handles and small holes were drilled so that they would stick more.”
— Change
5.“During lunch, it was an open campus.”
6.“Ugh, I had regained the memory of the open water. I was a shy, awkward, and anxious child who had put a lot of effort into avoiding it.”
– rememberzz
7.“I went to school in the 1970s. Back then, the teachers were relentless bullies and sometimes they were bullies themselves. I remember many times when the teachers singled out children and mocked or insulted them in front of the whole class.”
8.“If you messed up, you had to sit in the corner and wear a dunce cap.”
— Nanny0416
9.“At my high school in the 1970s, there was an outdoor smoking area for high school students.”
10.“My Catholic high school had a ‘Sophomore Welcome Week’ where small groups of sophomores would come and be sold to the seniors to be their ‘slaves’ for a week. Yes, my school had a slave auction every year. All the money collected went back. at school.”
-fcukumicrosoft
11.“In the late 1980s, if I missed the bus home, I would ask the teachers to drive me home, and a few of them would drive me at different times. I had only my teacher and I in their car. That never happened today.”
12.“We used to cover our mouths, usually with masking tape, but one teacher used tape. If you were caught talking in the hall, you were gagged. If you were caught talking in class, your mouth was gagged. If you were caught talking in the cafeteria during lunch, your mouth was gagged.
— mrsbono2u
13.“During my school year in 1976, my teacher took us on a sightseeing trip The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I don’t remember where we were supposed to be going, but it wasn’t there.”
14.“I carried a pocket knife every day, and no one looked or cared. This was in the late ’80s/early ’90s.”
—PrivateTumbleweed
15.“Teachers smoked in the classroom until the ’70s.”
16.“The school nurse took measurements of the student’s weight and height in front of the whole class. This was reported on the quarterly report cards. There was a lot of embarrassment and shame.”
— Ooda Wooda
17.Finally: “Adults 18 years old were allowed to leave the camp and have alcohol with lunch. Coming back drunk was against the rules, of course.”
As a Gen Z’er, I can’t even fathom any of these things going on, and I’m really glad they don’t anymore! If you’re an adult, what are the common, everyday things that go down in school that wouldn’t be considered cool today, or would totally freak out the younger ones? Let me know in the comments, or you can submit your story anonymously using this form!
Note: Some posts have been edited for length and/or clarity.