This School Ditches Detention for a Transformative Team Approach!

In middle and high schools, failing to submit homework, having an attitude problem, or skipping a class typically results in detention. The student is required to stay in a classroom, often in silence, working on assignments or writing lines. In more severe cases, when missteps recur and after numerous detentions, it can lead to being expelled from the school. Initially, this is temporary, but it can become permanent if the situation worsens and after multiple warnings.

This system has been in place for decades and is deeply embedded in the French educational culture. However, an increasing number of voices are challenging its effectiveness. According to some educational experts, traditional detention doesn’t really help students understand the consequences of their actions. They endure a punishment, but without necessarily reflecting on what led them there. This risks leading to repetitive misbehavior, creating a cycle that is unproductive for both the student and the educational team.

This issue was recognized by the Collège de l’Europe in Bourg-de-Péage, Drôme, which has recently been testing an alternative to traditional detentions. The goal of this new approach is to “enhance the educational aspect of the punishment” and to “make students reflect, take responsibility, and mature,” according to the school principal. So, what do these penalized students do?

Instead of sitting in a classroom within the school, these students perform volunteer hours outside of school time, in the evenings or on weekends, at the Restos du Cœur center in Romans-sur-Isère. Sorting food items, preparing packages, and greeting recipients: the tasks assigned to the youths allow them to directly experience the workings of a charitable organization and the realities of poverty.

This type of punishment is “very rarely implemented by schools because it is hard to find partners,” the principal told the Dauphiné Libéré. Charitable organizations often lack the human resources to supervise young people, and administrative hurdles can impede such initiatives. The partnership between the school and Restos du Cœur is therefore exceptional and could inspire other institutions seeking alternative solutions. Moreover, this program is not only for students facing detention but also for those at risk of expulsion, who can “go to Restos du Cœur to learn, and lend a hand to volunteers.” The idea is to offer them a second chance before resorting to more drastic measures.

The educational team aims to help students see things differently and feel valued. Far from being a humiliating or ineffective punishment, this community-based approach has the advantage of fostering empathy among youths. By interacting with dedicated volunteers and people facing hardships, students become aware of realities that may be far from their own daily experiences. Helping others and feeling useful is far more rewarding than spending an hour stuck in a classroom watching the clock. And if this experience inspires them to commit to volunteering long-term? That’s the bet this school in Drôme is making, convinced that kindness can change behaviors where punishment sometimes fails.