Three video clips of classroom punishment in Taiwan.

Clip 1 of 3 - Classroom canings for poor work

This is an English class in a secondary school in 2007 or earlier. Only male students are in evidence. The teacher is reviewing their assignments. Punishment is administered for unsatisfactory work. For instance, the teacher can be heard reading out students' English spelling mistakes. This concept seems quite common in parts of the oriental world, unlike Western countries (and also incidentally Singapore), where for a very long time it has been the conventional wisdom that school students should be punished only for misbehaviour and never for inadequate academic performance.

Three canings are seen. The position adopted is "hands on the wall". The cane used appears rather on the short side for boys of this age, who look to be about 15/16. The first student receives four swift strokes on the seat, though their effectiveness must be greatly reduced by being given through his padded coat, or so it appears. Nevertheless, he walks away with his hands clasped to his buttocks. The second student receives only one stroke, but is rubbing his backside as he returns to his place. By contrast, the third student seems nonchalantly unaffected by his one stroke.

The proceedings are very matter-of-fact and this is plainly a minor, routine event. The atmosphere is serious and the class orderly: there is none of the jocularity and rowdiness that is seen in some classroom video clips.

HERE IS THE CLIP:

Clip 2 of 3 - Middle school student paddled on hand

Not all classroom corporal punishment in Taiwan is applied to the buttocks. It is also quite commonly administered to the hands, especially perhaps in the case of younger students. This 8-second clip, from a middle school in Taipei in 2007 or earlier, shows a student of indeterminate sex being punished in front of the class. The teacher administers four strokes on the student's hands with a paddle or wide ruler.

HERE IS THE CLIP:

Clip 3 of 3 - Boys caned by lady teacher

In this 2-minute clip, taken at a Vocational High School in 2007 or earlier, two boys get 2 moderate strokes of the cane each from their female teacher at the front of the class. The teacher looks to be something of a battleaxe, but the atmosphere seems fairly jocular. The boys being punished have to adopt a Korean-style "all fours" posture. Both rub their buttocks after the caning.

HERE IS THE CLIP: