A Helsinki teacher made a serious mistake by pouring a student's energy drink down the drain. The incident occurred at Aurinkolahti Comprehensive School in Vuosaari. School authorities have now admitted the teacher acted incorrectly.
The case reached Finland's Parliamentary Ombudsman after the student's mother filed a complaint. She felt the school acted arbitrarily when confiscating her child's drink. The mother said she never received a proper explanation about which laws justified pouring out the drink and keeping the deposit container.
What exactly happened during the school day? The 14-year-old student had left school grounds to buy the energy drink from a nearby store. This violated school rules about leaving campus during school hours. School staff and the student gave different accounts about when the drink was confiscated.
The teacher asked the student to hand over the energy drink during class. After the student took a large sip, the teacher poured the remaining liquid down the sink. The empty can was taken to the teacher's room.
School rules clearly prohibit students from leaving campus without permission during school hours. However, the rules said nothing specifically about energy drinks. Staff and students had agreed informally that students shouldn't consume sodas or energy drinks during school days.
Did these agreements justify destroying the student's property? The school's headmaster later stated the teacher should have asked the student to store the can in their locker or on a classroom shelf. The student could then have retrieved it after class.
The headmaster confirmed the school has since reviewed its confiscation practices. They've stopped their previous practice of taking confiscated cans to stores and depositing the refund money into student support funds.
Finland's Parliamentary Ombudsman found the school's response satisfactory. Deputy Ombudsman Mikko Sarja noted the school had properly reviewed and updated its regulations after the incident.
The student's mother expressed satisfaction that the school eventually acknowledged its error. She emphasized that while she doesn't buy energy drinks for her children, they aren't illegal products like alcohol. She believes school rules should be truly shared and reasonable.
What consequences did the student face for breaking school rules? The mother said the student had an educational discussion with their class teacher. The school also sent a message home through Wilma, Finland's common school communication system.
Finland's health authority THL recommends stores not sell energy drinks to children under 15. Store policies vary across the country.
This case highlights how schools must balance rule enforcement with respect for student property rights. Even when students break minor rules, teachers cannot arbitrarily destroy personal property without legal justification.