Chinese school hammers home message that cell phones are simply not allowed

A middle school in southwestern China is going to extreme lengths to hammer home its message that pupils are banned from carrying cell phones on its grounds.

In footage first shown on the Pear Video website and later republished by the state-run People’s Daily, a man in a combat uniform is seen using a hefty metal mallet to pulverise a handset on the school’s playing field as hundreds of pupils look on.

The Yongmao Middle School, in Guiyang, Guizhou province, has a zero tolerance policy regarding students and cell phones, something that is made clear in the accompanying soundtrack, which can be heard blaring from the school’s public address system.

“Any cell phone brought into school against regulations – meaning the students haven’t alerted the school or obtained the proper credentials – will be soaked in water and smashed on the ground,” a woman’s voice announces.