Mick Ryan

I was born at Virginia, a little township 18 miles north of Adelaide. I attended the local primary school until I was 14 years. I can vividly remember my own primary school days. Every morning the school, 60 boys and girls between 6 and 14 were lined up in exact ranks, arms length apart and were put through 15 minutes of Drill, as it was called, by a master who had all the attributes of an army sergeant. We were then marched into school and seated on long benches, 6 to a desk. We folded our arms behind our backs while the roll was called and woe betide any one so weak as to miss his name – and the day proceeded in this manner, each movement, each lesson being done almost by numbers. No wonder we grew up well conditioned cadet conscripts at 14 years. After this I was dragooned into becoming what is known as a monitor, an apprentice to the head teacher. For 7/6 a week I taught 28 little boys and girls in grades 1, 2 and 3 – I was tough – I survived this for two years.

In 1921 I entered Adelaide High School. At high school in the 1920s there were already signs of a new attitude in the young teachers returned from the 1914 – 1918 war. We had dual desks, could choose subjects within a range and were sometimes asked to express an opinion but we still had our Drill every morning. I really enjoyed high school – the study was tough, the teachers good and we had plenty of sport – I played football in the winter and took part in rowing in the summer. I had the honour to be a member of the Adelaide High School eight-oared crew which defeated St Peter’s in the first Head of the River in 1922. 1924-1925 I spent at Adelaide Teachers College, again thoroughly enjoying life. I was a member of the University rowing crew and represented Adelaide in 1924 (Melbourne) and 1926 (Tasmania).

My first teaching appointment was to a little Mallee town near the Victorian border in 1926. I was head teacher with 30 children. I remember my first roll call – many of the names were German and I needed assistance (amid giggles) in pronouncing them. There were 13 children in grade 1, 12 of whom could not speak English. It was amazing how quickly they learned from the older children. We had a very pleasant three years – I don’t know whether those children learned much but they all loved school. I was sorry to leave. Sad commentary on the times – I went back to Taplan last year and the school was closed through lack of children.

In 1929 I was appointed to Le Fevre Peninsula Central School – that’s where I learned what hard work teaching really was. We had a slave-driver for a headmaster and it was the depression years – everybody was poor – amenities non-existent – many of my fifth grade boys came to school without shoes or socks – but they were tough kids and many of them have made good. Quite frequently I would have a double class of 90 when a teacher was absent. The number in the class was not considered any excuse when the Friday morning arithmetic, spelling and mental test results were compared class by class. And woe to the class and teacher who did not get a 98% average. It was about this time I took up boxing – self-defence I expect. I had my first bout in the University Boxing Competition middle weight division. I came second.

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