Generally, collective punishment – punishing a group for the actions of one or a few individuals – is considered unfair and potentially illegal in many places. It violates principles of due process and individual responsibility. A student should only be punished for their own actions, not for the actions of others.
However, some forms of collective consequences might be permissible under certain circumstances, such as:
* Classroom management strategies: A teacher might implement a consequence affecting the whole class (e.g., loss of recess) if the class's overall behavior is disruptive. But this is different from punishing the whole class for the actions of a single student. The focus is on the collective behavior, not individual culpability. Even then, the punishment must be reasonable and proportionate to the infraction.
* School-wide consequences: A school might implement consequences affecting the whole student body due to widespread misbehavior or violations of school rules. Again, the legality depends on the specifics of the situation and the proportionality of the punishment.
In summary: While strict collective punishment targeting a group for the actions of a few is generally illegal and unjust, certain classroom or school-wide management strategies that impact multiple students may be permissible, but only if they are reasonably related to the misbehavior and avoid punishing students who weren't personally involved.
If you believe collective punishment has been unjustly applied, you should consult your school's policies, your parents/guardians, and potentially legal counsel to understand your rights and options.