Five students at a junior high school in Jishou, Hunan province, were recently forced by their teacher to eat paper as punishment, China News Service reported on Thursday.

Twelve-year-old Xiao Peng (not his real name), one of the five students punished, said the class had an exam on Oct 31 but left some garbage including paper on the floor afterward. The teacher, named Yang Xi, asked for the students responsible for the garbage to come forward. After none of the students came forward, the teacher blamed the five students and forced them to eat the paper as punishment.

On Nov 4, the five students’ parents went to the school to file a complaint. Yang then apologized to the parents and the students. The school said it gave psychological counseling to the five students and is planning to discipline the teacher.