'Little Emperors' Learn the Hard Way in China

One woman believes the only way to rein in all [the "little emperors" of China's one-child generation who run amok at home and in school] is to stop sparing the rod. At Wan Guoyin's West Point, every child knows the consequences of bad behavior.

The worst offenders get a whipping, minus their shirts, even in the dead of winter, and in front of the entire school. Minor offenses such as cussing can result in being forced to swallow a spoonful of hot chili sauce or chew on a bitter herb that turns the tongue yellow for hours...

"We do it more for the humiliation than the pain," said [schoolmistress Wan Guoyin], 47, who looks nothing like Cruella De Vil in her simple black cotton dress, braided hair reaching to her waist. "The goal is to give them a memorable lesson."

Wan got the idea for the school a few years ago when she was a guest on a radio program about problem children. The former kindergarten teacher and mother of a 22-year-old daughter remembered that nearly 90% of the callers complained about disciplinary problems with their sons.