this is the kind of thing you need to average out, and the conclusion is probably right: most people that you suspend from school need more integration, not less. they need hugs, not ostracism. social programs & restorative justice designed to reintegrate are the smart approach, here. punishment is the dumb approach.

but.

i was a punk kid. i used to get suspended for pranks. all the time. i wouldn't be surprised if somebody told me that i spent more time in the hall in grade 8 than in class (although, note that i often had a book with me). the pranks were of varying severities. i actually dynamited the school mascot once and then put it back in place, still smoldering. they blamed it on the rivals across town. i got away with that one. but, i got caught for lots of things, too.

see, i wasn't a bad student, though. to the contrary. in fact, one of the tactics the school used to try and get me to behave was to take me out of "advanced" courses and put me in "enriched" courses, so i wouldn't have anybody to get in trouble with because the enriched kids were just not going to do that. and, that actually ultimately worked.

what i want to get at more is that i remember spending in-school suspensions doing homework: reading books, doing math, writing essays. and, i arguably got more work done in that situation than i did in class.

but.

there may have also been social consequences, too.