Across the world, chilling and countless tales have emerged of teachers whose disciplinary actions crossed the line into cruelty. While discipline is part of classroom management, when it turns punitive and dehumanizing, it ceases to educate and begins to destroy. In various countries, students have suffered abuse under the guise of correction, and these cases have triggered public outrage, reforms, and soul-searching within education systems. As Kenya continues to evolve its educational framework under Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) and value-based learning, these cautionary tales must serve as sobering reminders of what teaching must never become – and what it ought to be.
In India, a case that shocked the nation involved a teacher who poured hot oil on a student’s hands for forgetting homework. The student suffered severe burns and psychological trauma. In another Indian school, a boy was made to clean the toilets with his bare hands as punishment for being late. These events not only violated the children’s rights but also violated basic human dignity. They sparked legal actions and national calls for a total ban on corporal punishment. The lesson here is painfully clear: punishment must never strip a child of dignity or physical safety. Kenyan teachers must understand that discipline is not about power, but about guidance. It must never involve physical harm or humiliation.
In China, an elementary teacher forced a student to stand in the sun for hours without food or water. The child collapsed and later died of heatstroke. In another Chinese province, a teacher slapped a child repeatedly in front of classmates for poor handwriting. These extreme actions, rooted in the toxic belief that shame motivates performance, not only damage children but also breed resentment, anxiety, and long-term psychological scars. Kenya’s education system must reject shame-based discipline. No test score is worth a child’s mental health. No uniform mistake should lead to ridicule. Teachers must be trained to correct without crushing a child’s spirit.
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In Nigeria, a teacher used an electric cable to whip students for poor results. Some were beaten until they bled. In one case, a girl fainted after being hit repeatedly on the head. In another shocking instance, a teacher locked a group of students in a dark storeroom for talking during class, leaving them there for over five hours. Such abuse undercuts the very purpose of education – to develop, not to destroy. Kenya banned corporal punishment in 2001, but enforcement is still weak in some areas. These examples should strengthen the resolve to fully implement the ban, sensitize teachers on positive discipline, and report violations without fear or cover-ups.
In the United States, while corporal punishment is banned in many states, emotional and psychological punishments still occur. A Florida teacher once publicly displayed failing grades on a classroom wall, labeling the students “lazy.” Another made a boy wear a trash bag labeled “I am stupid” for not finishing his work. In Texas, a teacher made a student mop up the floor with his school shirt as punishment for spilling water. These acts of humiliation lead to anxiety, depression, and withdrawal from learning. Kenyan teachers must remember that words and gestures can wound just as deeply as sticks. A teacher’s voice must never echo the cruel language of failure, but the firm yet respectful tone of redirection.
In Uganda, a boarding school teacher punished a boy for oversleeping by making him run around the school compound barefoot in the cold. The child developed pneumonia and died days later. This tragic event exposes a failure of judgment, empathy, and professionalism. Similarly, in Zimbabwe, a teacher forced girls to kneel in gravel under the sun for allegedly applying lip gloss. Many sustained bruises and cuts. In both cases, punishment was used as a weapon rather than a tool for learning. Kenyan educators must reflect deeply: is my correction rehabilitating or retaliating? Does my approach heal or hurt?
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These global stories are not just headlines – they are cries for help. They reveal a dark truth: when discipline loses its moral compass, education becomes violence. They highlight the urgent need for Kenyan teachers to embrace alternatives that are firm but humane, corrective but respectful. A CBC classroom must not be one of fear, but of high expectations balanced with care. Discipline must be aligned with the values the curriculum teaches – responsibility, integrity, respect, and love.
There is a better way. In Finland, for example, when students misbehave, teachers use reflection sheets and one-on-one coaching to understand the root causes. Misbehavior is treated as a learning moment, not a crime. In Japan, students are trained from an early age to take personal responsibility for their behavior. Instead of punishment, there is peer accountability and restorative discussions. These models demonstrate that discipline can be intelligent, empathetic and effective.
Kenya must invest in teacher training programs that go beyond content delivery to include emotional intelligence, child psychology, and positive behavior management. Teachers need tools – not canes – to deal with difficult learners. They need mentorship, support, and policies that protect them while also holding them accountable. Most importantly, they need to see each child not as a problem to be solved, but as a human being to be understood.
Every Kenyan teacher must ask themselves: would I want my own child to be treated this way? If the answer is no, then no child in your class should be either. Discipline must never be about anger or frustration. It must be rooted in love, in the desire to see the child grow – not shrink, cower or break.
As a nation, Kenya must not wait for a tragedy to spark change. The lessons from the world’s worst punishments are not just warnings – they are invitations. Invitations to build classrooms where dignity is not negotiable, where mistakes are not met with violence, and where correction is not humiliation. If we are to truly educate, we must first do no harm. That is the first and the greatest lesson.
By Ashford Kimani
Ashford teaches English and Literature in Gatundu North Sub County and serves as Dean of Studies.
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