A Suffolk primary school teacher is swapping lines for sunshine, and detention for heat retention.

Julia Warren, a deputy head teacher from Bury St Edmunds, has come up with a novel approach to school discipline – forcing naughty pupils to stand outside wearing sandwich boards covered in solar panels.

“We think this is a great way to teach kids about green issues and community responsibility,” said Mrs Warren.
 
The electricity generated by the solar panels will be sold back to the national grid for use in Suffolk homes and businesses, meaning that Suffolk residents could soon be watching daytime TV and undercooking chicken products with power generated by naughty schoolchildren.

<center><div class="getty embed image" style="background-color:#fff;display:inline-block;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#a7a7a7;font-size:11px;width:100%;max-width:445px;"><div style="overflow:hidden;position:relative;height:0;padding:66.666667% 0 0 0;width:100%;"><iframe src="//embed.gettyimages.com/embed/455090976?et=MlutOuGtR91ErnBKZ6RyfA&viewMoreLink=off&sig=hUycpxTDufh5OQWzYhKeWOS0RMTsGaP5XnBziYMeJBI=" width="445" height="297" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="display:inline-block;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></div><p style="margin:0;"></p><div style="padding:0;margin:0 0 0 10px;text-align:left;"><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/455090976" target="_blank" style="color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;">View image</a> | <a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank" style="color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;">gettyimages.com</a></div></div></center><center><i>Solar panels being prepared for Suffolk pupils</center></i><br><br>

“Every dead arm, nipple twist or atomic wedgie will provide enough power to make a hundred cups of tea in an old people’s home,” explained Mrs Warren. “We’re waiting for the green light from the local education authority but if all goes well we hope to have the sandwich boards in for the start of the new school year.”

The evolution from caning to power collection means Suffolk schools will have moved from red buttocks to green punishments in just one generation.

The new proposals are popular with parents. “Sounds great!” said Maddy Martin, a mother of four from Chedburgh. “I hope they let the kids take the solar panels home with them. They could help charge my phone.”

But one retired teacher was less enthusiastic. “It’s dangerous when schools get this close to businesses,” said Alfred Misen. “Will kids go unpunished on cloudy days?

"Will teachers be pressured to punish more children just so the electricity companies meet their targets? I’m afraid it raises too many questions.”

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