Talkback Tuesday: What is an appropriate punishment in this day and age for students?

Two Year Four boys from a vernacular school in Sungkai, Perak, were made to wear bells around their neck and “offered” grass to eat as punishment for not doing their homework. After the lesson was over, their class teacher saw the boys and allegedly mocked: “Since when did I have two additional cows in my class?” The boys were also caned twice and then, during recess, the same teacher plucked grass and allegedly told the boys to eat it or get another 10 strokes of the rotan. The boys refused but were spared from further caning. The teacher has since been issued a stern warning and transferred to another school.

Is this appropriate punishment in this day and age? Should sterner action have been taken against the teacher?