Today’s children are more sensitive than children of previous generations. So much so that a stern word from a teacher seems like a major setback. But if we rewind the clock by 20 to 25 years, school life used to be an entirely different experience — an era when punishments were not rare exceptions, but woven into the daily fabric of school life.

Punishments used to be remarkably diverse. There were the relatively harmless ones like a sharp scolding, writing lines hundreds of times as an imposition or copying entire passages repeatedly. Then there were the stricter measures reserved for more disciplined classrooms by strict teachers on highly indisciplined students. A ruler across the knuckles was quite common, especially when a teacher expected absolute silence and unwavering attention.

One punishment that almost every Indian student from that era remembers is the classic sit-ups while holding one’s ears. Intended as a corrective measure, it often turned into an unexpected display of endurance, with students trying to outlast one another rather than feeling embarrassed.

Then there was that dreaded command, “Get out of the class!” Teachers often used this punishment when they wanted to remove a disruptive student without interrupting the lesson for everyone else. Standing outside the classroom came with its own set of challenges. The punishment was as much about public visibility as it was about discipline.

A student banished to the corridor instantly became a subject of curiosity. Other teachers passing by would take notice. And students from neighbouring classes, often on a conveniently timed trip to the restroom, would quickly spread the news. Before long, everyone seemed to know who had been thrown out of class and why.

But the greatest fear was the possibility of being spotted by the Principal or the Vice-Principal during one of their routine rounds. Such an encounter could easily escalate a minor classroom punishment into a much bigger problem, complete with explanations, warnings, and sometimes even a summons for the parents.

The red stage

The school I went to had (still has) something called the red stage. It was an area that was visible from every part (almost) of the school. It used to be the place for class photographs, announcements, open-air events and yes, for punishments too. Red stage punishments were beyond the ‘stand outside the classroom’ ones. These happened when a teacher really wanted the whole world (read ‘entire school’) to see the punished student(s). So much so that the red stage punishment became an aspirational ‘punishment band’ for many students.

I remember when I was in Class 11, a few of those ‘class bosses’ decided that it was an insult for the entire class that none of us had ever been punished on the red stage. They started planning for a ‘mass punishment’ on the red stage. But even in their mischievous endeavour, they had the good heart to keep the girl students out of this ‘mission’.

The opportunity came soon. We had a highly respected English teacher who one morning, before the first period started, brought a trunk full of Macbeth (part of our English Literature curriculum) props to the class with the help of two school support staffers. His class was the fourth or fifth period on that day. During the recess, the ‘bosses’ toppled the trunk and scattered its contents. Later in the day, when the teacher came to take his class and saw what had happened, he politely ‘thanked’ the students for what they did and walked out. Later the entire class, sans the girl students, was marched onto the red stage…and we all became certified ‘red stage punished’ students.

The decline

As the new millennium approached, attitudes toward discipline in schools began to change. Driven by the efforts of child welfare advocates, human rights organisations, educators and NGOs, corporal punishment and other forms of public humiliation increasingly came under scrutiny. Gradually practices that had once been considered routine became unacceptable, and schools were encouraged to adopt more constructive and child-friendly approaches to discipline.

vijayshekhar1974@gmail.com

Published - August 16, 2026 12:24 am IST