Petition to end collective punishment in BC Schools

Collective punishment in schools continues in British Columbia, where children are still punished for things they didn’t do—or because others near them did something wrong. Under international law, including Article 33 of the Geneva Conventions, collective punishment is prohibited. It is considered unjust in times of war. But in our schools, it continues under the guise of classroom management—defended by the school board.

Why collective punishment in schools must end

This form of discipline does not teach responsibility. It teaches that safety is conditional and that proximity to someone who struggles or breaks a rule makes you vulnerable. It encourages students to resent rather than support each other. It isolates difference.

And it falls hardest on children already pushed to the margins. Neurodivergent students, disabled students, Black and Indigenous students—those more likely to be read as disruptive, more likely to be surveilled, more likely to be blamed.

When collective punishment is used, it sends a clear message: inclusion is a risk. Being friends with someone who has support needs might cost you. It trains students to distance themselves from anyone whose presence might lead to group consequences. It teaches social exclusion as a survival strategy.

We call on the BC Ministry of Education and Child Care to:

1. Prohibit collective punishment through clear, enforceable policy
2. Train educators in inclusive, neurodiversity-affirming practices
3. Audit discipline methods and report violations publicly
4. Centre the voices of students and families most affected

We cannot teach empathy through coercion. We cannot foster belonging by punishing togetherness.

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