Authoritarian schooling systems

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, there are a number of issues with authoritarianism within public (state) schools in the 21st century:

• almost all state schools require a specific school uniform
• authoritarian approaches to schooling are on the increase

Authoritarian approaches to schooling can include "zero tolerance" type polices with regard to behaviour, excessive and unnecessary punishments, invasion of privacy, use of "isolation booths" and "calming rooms", and more.

Recent incidents in the UK have included:

• CCTV shows pupils abused and locked in padded room - BBC News (Whitefield School, London - 2024)
• Autistic 12-year-old 'brutally' restrained in school calming room - BBC News (Springwell Leeds Academy North - 2025)
• Pupil put in isolation booth for more than half a school year - BBC News (2026)
• Boy was 'restrained unnecessarily' at special needs school - BBC News (2024)