Physical punishment in schools has not yet ended - world experience

In Singapore, physical punishment in schools is applied only to male students and is a formal process regulated by law. In May 2026, the government further strengthened this punishment against bullying incidents. According to the law, male students who commit bullying may be given up to 3 strokes of caning as a last resort. However, this punishment is not carried out by every teacher, but only by authorized persons with the director's permission, taking into account the student's health and psychological condition. The application of physical punishment against female students is strictly prohibited by Singaporean law. They face other punishments such as suspension from school or a reduction in their conduct grade.

In South Korea, with an amendment to the civil code in 2021, the right of parents and teachers to physically punish children was officially abolished. However, in recent years, against the background of increasing disrespect towards teachers and student violence in schools, some conservative groups are demanding a re-tightening of disciplinary measures. Currently, although physical punishment is prohibited in Korea, "moral punishments" – for example, measures such as the student apologizing in front of everyone, being involved in public service, or long-term suspension – are applied very strictly.

In Malaysia, Singapore's neighbor, "caning" is still included in the official disciplinary rules. According to the rules of the Malaysian Ministry of Education, students who commit serious indiscipline (drugs, smoking, violence, disrespect) may be given physical punishment within certain limits. Unlike Singapore, here in some cases the punishment is carried out in special rooms, not in front of the whole class, which is explained by the principle of not degrading the student's dignity.

In many African countries, especially Nigeria, physical punishment is widespread in schools. Nigerian law allows teachers to physically punish students to a "reasonable extent." This usually takes the form of caning on the hand or back. Although physical punishment is officially prohibited in countries like Kenya, recent reports show that teachers in rural schools still use this method to maintain discipline. According to data for 2026, the proportion of students who receive physical punishment in these regions is still approximately above 70%.

In some states of the USA (especially in southern states, such as Mississippi, Alabama, Texas), physical punishment (paddling – hitting with a wooden paddle) is still legal in public schools. Every year, tens of thousands of American students are subjected to this type of punishment. Parents sometimes sign documents at the beginning of the school year agreeing to physical punishment for their children. In northern states, however, this practice is completely prohibited and considered a crime.

In some Middle Eastern countries, especially in regions with a more conservative system (for example, some parts of Afghanistan or formerly Saudi Arabia), types of punishment such as flogging or lashing have been a subject of discussion. However, it should be noted that Saudi Arabia has largely abolished flogging in schools and courts with the reforms it has carried out in recent years. Nevertheless, in some regions, harsh physical measures within the framework of "ta'azir" (punishment left to the discretion of the judge or teacher) still remain.

In almost all European Union countries, and especially in Sweden (the first country in the world to ban physical punishment of children, 1979), Finland, and Norway, any physical contact with a child as a form of punishment is strictly prohibited. In these countries, the harshest punishment is for the student to meet with a psychologist, be involved in social services, or be expelled from school. They believe that physical punishment codes violence in a child's brain as a "solution to problems."

In Pakistan, physical punishment (usually called "maar") is officially prohibited in schools, but in reality, it is still applied very harshly. Although a new law adopted in Islamabad in 2021 considers all types of physical violence against children a crime, in remote provinces of the country, especially in religious schools (madrasahs), cases of students being hung by their feet or punished with heavy stick blows are encountered. 

In Japan, physical punishment (taibatsu) has been prohibited by law since 1947, and this law was further strengthened in 2020. However, punishments in Japan are based more on social and academic pressure than physical pain. Teachers threaten students by writing negative comments in their personal record document called "Naishinsho"; this document directly affects the student's future admission to university. Also, involving the student in cleaning work in front of the whole class or isolating them from the group (ostracism) is considered one of the most severe psychological punishments in Japan.

In India, the "Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act" adopted in 2009 prohibits all types of physical and psychological abuse. Nevertheless, in rural areas of India, archaic punishments such as keeping students kneeling in the sun for hours, or forcing them to stand in a "bat" position with heavy bags (murga position) still remain. These punishments test the student's physical endurance and also humiliate them in front of their classmates.

Tanzania, located in East Africa, is one of the countries in the world where corporal punishment in schools is most official and legal. Here, education rules directly allow directors to strike a student with a stick for indiscipline. In some cases, regional officials even come to schools and punish students collectively. The government claims that this method increases student achievement, but international human rights groups are strongly fighting against it.

In France, one of the largest countries in Europe, physical punishment in schools had been unofficially accepted as a "method of upbringing" for many years. However, in 2019, the French parliament adopted the "Law Against Violence in School and Family," prohibiting all types of physical punishment, including even a light slap. Now in France, teachers can remove a student from class under the pretext of "dangerous behavior" or invite them to a special ethics committee with their parents to punish them.