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Is corporal punishment in schools illegal in the Netherlands?

Yes. Corporal punishment in schools is banned in the Netherlands. Bans all physical punishment of kids, at school and at home.

Listed by End Corporal Punishment (Global progress table, last updated March 2025: 137 states) as prohibiting corporal punishment in schools; no repeal found Oct 2026. Also bans it at home (Spanking dataset, Oct 2026).

Source: End Corporal Punishment

• The Netherlands is one of 124 countries where corporal punishment in schools is banned, and 30 more restrict it.
• Its neighbours: banned in 2 of 2 (Belgium and Germany).
• In Europe: banned in 38 of 39 countries.

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Other countries that ban corporal punishment in schools

AndorraUnited Arab EmiratesAlbaniaArmeniaArgentinaAustriaAzerbaijanBosnia & HerzegovinaBangladeshBelgiumBulgariaBahrainBeninBoliviaAll 124 on the map ›

What else is banned in the Netherlands