A recent incident involving a Malaysian teacher has reignited the debate on whether physical discipline still has a place in schools today. According to mStar, the teacher took to social media platform, Threads, to share her frustration after being summoned by her school administration – all because she gently pulled a student’s ear for repeatedly failing to submit homework for two whole months.
Homework ignored for over two months
In her post, the teacher explained that the student had ignored homework instructions for more than eight weeks despite multiple reminders. Out of frustration and a sense of responsibility, she lightly tugged on the student’s ear as a form of discipline and to remind him to take his studies seriously.
However, what she believed to be a small corrective gesture quickly escalated when the student’s parent lodged a complaint with the school, accusing her of physically abusing the child.
“That day, I was called in by the school administration because I pulled a student’s ear. The homework I gave two months ago still wasn’t done. I pulled his ear, and he went to complain,” she wrote.
“It was his father who complained. After that, I just stopped bothering about him.”
“Students are now invincible with their parents′ support”
The teacher’s post struck a chord among many educators, who expressed their empathy and frustration in the comments. Many argued that it has become increasingly difficult to discipline students today, especially when parents are quick to defend their children’s behaviour.
One teacher shared in the comments how she chastised a student for playing with glue on their table, making slime. That night itself, the student’s mother called her out via WhatsApp.
″She said if I scolded her child like that, her child might feel stressed and refuse to come to school.″
A former teacher commented that modern students are more defiant and less respectful toward authority figures, often treating teachers as equals rather than mentors.
“I’m a former teacher. It’s not that I wanted to lose my temper, but kids today are really like that. When I taught secondary school, they acted like adults and talked back to teachers.”
Another educator pointed out that the current system leaves teachers powerless to correct students’ behaviour.
“All we want is for them to finish their homework. But they behave this way because they think teachers can’t touch them — and their parents always defend them.”
The ongoing debate
The case has reignited a long-standing discussion about the role of discipline in education and the boundaries of acceptable punishment. While some believe that mild, non-violent physical gestures – such as ear pulling – can serve as effective reminders of discipline, others argue that any form of physical contact should be prohibited to protect students’ well-being.
As classrooms evolve and parental expectations shift, teachers continue to walk a fine line between maintaining discipline and avoiding accusations of misconduct. The question remains: how far should educators be allowed to go to ensure that students learn responsibility and respect?
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