Fear-based discipline
Behavioural control tactics that rely on threat, embarrassment, or loss—producing compliance at the expense of trust and learning.
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School discipline in British Columbia: what parents of disabled children need to know
In British Columbia, school discipline is usually described as a neutral, even benevolent process. Brochures reassure parents that discipline is not punishment, that it teaches self-control, and that consequences help children learn responsibility. The Vancouver School Board’s Discipline at Home and School guide follows this script exactly. It explains that: On paper, this sounds reasonable.…
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The orange shirt I folded
I was folding laundry late one night, brain running on the kind of background grief that rarely quiets, when my hand closed around the orange shirt. I moved to set it aside—automatically, instinctively—because I remembered September was coming, school would be starting, and Orange Shirt Day would follow quickly after. That shirt would be needed…
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Collective punishment in schools: How humiliation undermines emotional safety and learning
In classrooms around the world, students are sometimes punished for the misbehavior of others. One student breaks a rule, and the entire class loses a privilege. This practice – known as collective punishment – persists even though it is broadly recognised as unjust. In fact, collective punishment is explicitly banned under Article 33 of the Geneva Conventions…