Strictest School Punishments From Around The World

3 years ago

1. Asia - Kneeling On Frozen Peas

Image source YouTubeIn some Asian countries the punishment for disobedient pupils in class is to make them kneel on frozen peas. The length of time the child has to remain in this position depends on how serious the bad behaviour is. 'Kneeling time' can be anything from 5 minutes to one hour, at which time I would think the peas would have melted.

2. China - Holding Hands In Public

Principal Punishes High School Boys With Public Hand-Holding - ABC News

Image source FacebookMany Chinese schools follow the same disciplinary rules for punishing pupils. If two kids get into a fight and even a speck of blood is drawn, they are both expelled. If it's an average punch up then humiliation is the punishment. Both parties have to hold hands for the rest of the day and have to accept they are the laughing-stock of the school.

3. Houston - Locked Inside Closet

Image source Mom.comMost young children would be frightened of monsters in the closet but a cruel teacher in Houston scared one of the 4 year old kids even more. She made him stand in the closet and locked the door behind him. He could be heard crying and was so scared that he threw up. The same said sadistic teacher inflicted this punishment on 3 other children. Their crime was for not paying attention in class.

4. New Jersey -Eating Lunch Off The Floor

Image source QuoraA high school in New Jersey came to the attention of the authorities for punishing a whole class because a jug of water was spilled in the classroom. The pupils were forced to eat their lunch off the floor and were warned not to say anything to their parents. Of course, the kids did tell them and the school was put on 'special measures'.

5. Kentucky - Therapy Bag

Image source HuffPostThe therapy bag is a duffel bag that a Kentucky teacher used as punishment for an autistic 9 year old for not doing his homework. When his mum came to pick him up, she was alarmed to find her son trying to wriggle out of the bag and screaming. The only positive to this is that the teacher was fired.

6. Milwaukee - Chopping Off Braids

Image source YouTubeA Milwaukee school teacher became frustrated when a young pupil wasn't listening to her during a lesson. Rather than have a word with her, she got a pair of scissors and cut off her braids, leaving the girl shell shocked. When questioned by the authorities, the teacher said she was upset about a personal issue and took it out on the once long-haired girl.

7. Asia - Flaunt Your Incompetency

Image source Mail OnlineIn parts of Asia, if a pupil does poorly in exams, they are mocked by the very strict teachers and are humiliated by having to wear a sign that exhibits the grades they achieved. They have to keep wearing the sign whilst walking home until their parents have seen how disgusted the school is of their child.

8. Salute The Flag

Image source QuoraThere is a school in North Carolina which has made up its own rules for dealing with less than perfect students. Talking in class or being late for a lesson transfers to saluting the American flag (in the classroom) for 10 minutes. More serious 'school crimes' such as chewing gum or swearing at another pupil would mean an hour of saluting.

9. Texas- Being Hit For Hitting

Image source Daily MailA teacher in Texas made up her own school punishment. When a 5 year old child punched another pupil in the face, she lined up all the other students and encouraged them to punch the instigator. Her explanation to the Governors was that she knew she'd get fired if she did it herself.

10. Massachusetts - Police Warning For Overdue Library Book

Image source CNNThe Head of a school in Massachusetts called the police to attend the premises to deal with a pupil. Two officers turned up, not knowing exactly what to expect. The crime in question was a 5 year old girl being 10 days late in returning her books to the school library. The Head thought the kid needed to learn a lesson and wanted her cautioned. Has the world gone mad?

11. Florida - Arrested For Carrying Plastic Knife

Image source PinterestI can understand a Florida school taking 'zero tolerance' on dangerous or sharp objects, given the shocking past history this State has suffered. However, an 11 year old girl being arrested for carrying a plastic butter knife in her rucksack is taking it a bit too far. It had fallen out of her lunch box and when the daily search of bags at school took place, the item was found and the girl was given a caution by police.

12. California - Lower Grade For Saying 'Bless You'

Image source Daily SignalWhen you think you've heard it all and then this; A Californian student was accused of disrupting the class for saying 'bless you' to a fellow pupil who had just sneezed. The punishment was to work in isolation for the rest of the day so he couldn't annoy anyone else. I'm surprised the teacher didn't think it necessary to beat him with a box of tissues!

13. California - Demoted For Burping

Image source QuoraAgain in California, a 9 year old pupil was stripped of her 'prefect' badge for accidentally burping. She said 'excuse me' but the teacher was having none of it. She made her stand with hers face to the wall for the rest of the lesson. The girl went home in tears and her mother put in an official complaint with the school.

14. Japan - Carrying Plants For Being Late

Image source Quora

Japanese schools are known for their strict rules as well as their very polite and high achieving students. They are quite clear about their main punishment which is bringing plants for various wrongdoings! Being late for registration warrants bringing in 2 plants and not turning up to school with no valid reason constitutes bringing in 5 plants. All the said plants are put in the corner of the school playground and the cleaners are given the task of looking after them. So who's getting punished here?

15. South Korea - Getting Caned In Front Of Pupils

Image source The Guardian

In South Korea, schools take the old fashioned approach (not surprising) of still using canes to punish pupils. Nearly every other country in the world has banned the use of them. As if this isn't bad enough, the pupil is caned in front of classmates and the pain isn't usually as bad as the embarrassment.

16. California - Squat!

Image source Healthline

A Californian school teacher still believes that children should be seen and not heard. The rules even apply to young pupils who are punished for not paying full attention in class or are being disruptive. They are forced to go on to the school playing fields and squat 100 times, even if it takes them hours and it usually does. Another punishment is doing laps of the track in adverse weather conditions.

17. India - Sit Ups Whilst Apologising

Image source Daily Mail

In one Indian school, pupils who are late for assembly will suffer the consequences. They are forced to line up outside and do 50 sit-ups whilst reciting 'I am a very irresponsible girl' after each one. The girls have to do it in sync and if the pattern is broken, they have to start again. Awful punishment but great abs!

18. Asia - Handstands

Image source BrightsideThis punishment is most common in schools in Asian countries. For the smallest of crimes, such as forgetting a pen or pencil, students have to do handstands and other crazy physical activities like frog jumps, push ups and raisin their hands in the air while carrying heavy loads.

19. Florida - Cone Of Shame

Image source WUSF NewsAs we have seen, Florida instigates some bizarre school related punishments and this one is right up there with the strangest. Called the 'cone of shame', students are forced to wear them in class to feel embarrassed for what they did wrong - and they do! It's the same plastic cone that a dog would wear to stop it touching a healing wound. I think that's a bit wuff on the kids!

20. Idaho - Being Written On In Permanent Marker

Image source Reason MagazineA fourth grade teacher in Idaho felt it fitting to punish pupils who were not learning to read as fast as she would have liked them to. She gave permission for the 'quick readers' to draw on the face of the slower learner . That is horrific in itself but it was done in with a permanent marker pen. Don't know how the parents would deal with that.

21. Arizona - Dress Code Violator Sent Home By Police

Image source HypeBeing a student can be stressful for many reasons, not learning as quickly as others, difficulty making friends and having trouble just 'fitting in'. A child at a school in Arizona was returned home to her parents during the day by police. Her shocked mother was astounded to find out it was because her little girl was not wearing the required black shoes. The girl's family couldn't afford them and had painted her white shoes black in an attempt to conform to the uniform request. When the white started showing through, the girl was accused by teachers of 'putting the good reputation of the school at risk'. Unbelievable but true.

22. California - The Search For Ibuprofen

Image source The ChronicleA Californian school girl, Savana Reading, kept Ibuprofen in her school bag as she was suffering from headaches. A fellow student grassed on her which led to the school administrator strip searching her. Savana kept explaining why she had the medication on her but because the tablets were of a higher strength than usual painkillers, she was then sent to the nurse's office for a more thorough strip search which she, of course, found extremely upsetting. Her parents took the case to court and a settlement was agreed.

23. Texas - Eat A Lemon

Image source IStockA teacher in Texas became so annoyed with a pupil who had been hiding candy (sweets) under her desk and eating her way through the packet that she forced the girl to bite into a lemon (obtained from the staff room), through the peel and eat it. The girl became visibly distressed but it was only after half an hour that the teacher took it off her.

24. London - Wearing Pyjamas

Image source DreamtimeAt an English boarding school (yes, we are as guilty as other countries) a 10 year old pupil could not stop yawning despite warnings from his strict teacher. He tried to stifle them but it's not easy if they want to get out! His punishment was wearing pyjamas to a maths lesson where he was humiliated by the other boys. I hope it comes back to haunt that teacher.

25. Arkansas - Hit with a wooden paddle

Image source The IndependentIn March 2018, Arkansas students who walked out of their high schools to protest gun violence against children. They were punished by the teachers for doing so and were beaten with a wooden paddle at the back of the legs. Some parents agreed with the punishment. Has the world gone mad?

26. Florida - Voted Out Of Class

Image source DreamstimeA teacher at a Florida kindergarten asked her little students to tell their fellow classmate, Alex Barton, that they didn't like him and wanted him to leave. Alex was later diagnosed as being autistic and his parents reached a $350,000 settlement with St. Lucie County education officials.

27. London - No Best Friends

Image source Edu.comSome schools in the UK have taken the decision to ban students from having best friends. This is the case at Prince George's school, Thomas’ Battersea. Teachers encourage al students to form bonds so there are no feelings of exclusion. In a perfect world this sounds great but not sure if it is attainable.

28. Lebanon - Forced To Smile

Image source TheirworldAt a Northern Lebanese school, part of the curriculum is that students HAVE to smile in the school corridors while walking to other classes. If a pupil disobeys (not many dare to), then he or she is sent to a guidance counsellor to discuss their problem.

29. California - Punished For Self Defence

Image source The GuardianA 14 year old student in California received a 3 day suspension because he defended himself when a boy hit him hard in the face. There were witnesses to prove exactly what happened but his punishment still stood, along with a $350 fine and 20 hours of community service. The boy who threw the first punch got expelled for 2 days. Is there any justice?

30. Mississippi - Organising Fake Prom

Image source ViceIn an unbelievably childish act of revenge, a Mississippi school gave a fake date for the school prom to a lesbian student because she wanted to wear a tuxedo and bring her girlfriend along. The other pupils were in on this horrible plan as they were annoyed their original prom had been cancelled because of the so called issue. A legal battle, brought on by the girl's father, was settled in court in her favour.