1715: Johann Bernoulli on the teachers

From headmaster Johann Bernoulli I’s report to the Grand Council:

Teachers mostly lack mental capacity, knowledge, loyalty and zeal: Some have been deprived by old age of energy and vividness; in others, little seriousness can be perceived, and their personal gain is more important to them than the school’s well-being; one comes to school late, another reads during class, writes, copies pieces of music, while hardly ever orally testing the boys, let alone examining them in writing (see note below).

Some behave in an unfriendly and morose manner towards their students by snorting, knocking and scrapping; they use beating, twitching and plucking to attack and torment their students. It has happened that they hit holes in their head, squashed the finger pads’ flesh in such a way that blood gushed from under the nails, or tore out tufts of hair, or even kicked them with their feet …'

Note: Students were supposed to be (orally?) tested by the teacher weekly, and once a month even by the headmaster!