Is this right, or even legal?

[Erana]

Forcing a kid into physical labor over something as petty as a single can of soda is a blatant power trip. If he's getting this upset over having to do it, then you're stripping away any sense of safety and control he could glean from school after having such a terrible home life.

He's not going to think of it as "I did something wrong and was punished for it," because the punishment is so outrageously severe compared to the crime, even as a repeat offender. He's in a bad place, and when you're in a bad place and are humiliated and shamed simply because the people in power say so, you wind up hating yourself and the people who did it to you.

They obviously have no idea how to handle kids with real problems, and are relying on simply shoving rules and enforcement down their throat. If a kid doesn't respond to punishment, making them more and more severe is just going to keep hammering at the person pointlessly until they snap.

 

[tycho0042]

To be completely honest? I don't think it was "Wrong" for him to steal the drink in the first place.

Stealing is NOT inherently wrong.

And obviously, that punishment is FAR too extreme for trying to grab some soda.

Yes, stealing IS inherently wrong. you are taking something that doesn't belong to you. He wasn't dying of thirst. Shitty or not, there was alternatives but for whatever reason he decided it was better to steal than to take what was free just because he didn't like it. Having a shitty life doesn't justify crime.
The punishment I agree was excessive. A better alternative should have been reached though what I don't know.

 

[Hamish Durie]

well........
hard to say
stealing a 3$ can of drink and getting punished to clean toliets
kinda harsh I think staying in at recess for 5min would've sufficed

 

[lord canti]

Would be having these reactions if the kid didn't have a messed up life?

 

[Felstaff]

Poor kid...

I don't suppose any person on this forum has ever been in such a desperate situation to steal something so trivial, because they simply can't afford it.

Hence the sheer amount of "make him do 2 YEARS of toilet-cleaning duty! That'll serve the little oik right!" style of responses.

Punishment isn't going to suddenly make him less poor. Punishment, if ever doled, should be served only to rehabilitate. This kid needs help, and the school should take a stronger responsibility in ensuring he gets the best help a school can offer. I know schools =/= parents, but this kid... well he doesn't have parents. If anything, the school should get in touch with social services and try to find some sort of help to stop the kid being kicked to the kerb by society.

Humiliating him in front of the whole school was a dick move, by a dick headmaster.

 

[Jakub324]

That does seem to be kind of messed up, but then school authorities are notoriously out of touch with the way kids think.

 

[Khada]

The school should be HELPING the kid. GIVE him a can of drink each day ffs. Water would be better but I assume that's free at your school anyway. I would highly suggest approaching your school head and -calmly and with civility- expressing your repulsion at the schools decision to further ostracize a child whos situation is already greatly distressing to him. And all over a $1 can of drink.

 

[Legit101]

................

 

[ShadowStar42]

He shouldn't of stole etc but cleaning the toilets in front of other students is possibly the most degrading thing you could possibly do and not right.

Wow, you have a really low opinion of janitors don't you.

 

[chadachada123]

Having dated a girl whose mother was a whore (this mother having 5 kids with 3 different fathers, despite having little-to-no personal income and having all 3 fathers ditch as well), and this girl being the only legal adult of the siblings, this girl using as much time and money as possible helping out her other siblings while her mom just...basically sat around, this will sound weird coming out of my mouth, as I have some very Libertarian views on politics.

I think that this kid needs help, and I think that cleaning toilets doesn't solve anything.

Not knowing the age of the kid, I'm guessing he's at least too young to really understand what's going on here. He's (probably) not a legal adult, and probably had quite a shitty life. Not that that excuses the crime, only that the crime should warrant rehabilitation, not punishment, at least until he gets old enough to where it's obvious that it's less of a lack of understanding of morality, and more of just "wah wah I want I want."

From what I see, this kid just does not care about the consequences because his life is already shitty enough. And I sympathize with him. Were I in a position to, I'd through a pound or two his way.

 

[trollax]

janitors clean those for half a year why can't he clean them for half a day.you steal you get in trouble

 

[BSCCollateral]

Granted that we don't know what was going on here, aside from the fact that people who know the kid and work with kids professionally consider this appropriate.

My take is that if you're too special to drink the free water, and you're such a delicate flower that three hours of manual labor makes you burst into tears, then you are too delicate to be a fucking thief.

"Troubled childhood?" Unless he's in an asylum he gets to play by the same rules as everyone else.

 

[GiantRaven]

This isn't a punishment. This is somebody trying to pull a fast one by having a pupil clean up instead of actual cleaners. Saves money, you know.

Pathetic.

 

[Legit101]

................

 

[Vegetunks9000]

Seems like a good punishment to me. Can't even spank your kids in this country anymore. If kids got punished like this more often in schools, and at home. You wouldn't have 10 years olds screaming abuse at you, and their parents laughing about it. In fact, do this to the parents aswell!!!!

 

[Berlioz]

The kid did something wrong and he was punished for it. Done.

I don't like people who play victim to justify their wrong actions, and he should have been forced to BE a toilet for a month for doing that.

Accept responsibility for your own actions and quit bitching. Life is harder for some than for others, but the rules remain the same for everyone.

 

[MetalMonkey74]

"Cleaning the toilets"

True, none of us like to do that, be it is your proper full time job, or even if its your own home.

However, getting the kid to understand that he too could be a valued member of society by giving him jobs around the school to pay for his lunch is actually a good idea. The kid could end up getting a sense of achievement, a direction, and possibly learning some new skills if he proves trustworthy enough to be given more responsibilities.

When you have children that come from such broken backgrounds, that are unwilling to change or adapt to what society tries to turn us into, then the key is to finding the kid's strengths. For all we know, he could be an amazing musician, mathematician, artist, mechanic, programmer, or anything you can think of. Once that is found (i'm not saying its easy) then the kid will have direction and notice that he too, has something to offer.

that changes people.

 

[BSCCollateral]

That's completely different... that's their job and they don't have a social status in school to uphold.

Do you think "janitor" is a lower rung than "thief?"

 

[ToastiestZombie]

Give me an S, Give me a N, give me a I, give me a P. What does that spell!

We do have three water fountains, but one is outside and is most of the time filled with bugs and other grotty stuff, and the other two you arent allowed to use at lunchtimes, the only times you can use them is before lessons but then theres at least a line of 5 people and if you use them then most likely you will be late to your lessons.