HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A West Virginia school is taking an innovative approach to student discipline: reverse suspensions.

Instead of sending misbehaving students home to take a day off from school, administrators at Huntington East Middle School are asking parents of students busted for non-violent offenses to come to chaperone their child at school for an entire day, WOWK reports.

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“I was suspended multiple times last year,” student Justin Young told the news site, “but this year, not once.”

Young is among about 30 students at the school whose parents opted to come in for the day rather than have their children stay home for misbehavior, principal Frank Barnett said.

Barnett contends the new approach has reduced suspensions by two thirds, and bad behavior incident by half, WOWK reports.

“Who as a parent wants to sit in class? It’s embarrassing,” parent Stephanie Howell said. “It’s a good motivator to not have your parents come and sit with them.”

The reverse suspensions are also sparking discussions between parents and their kids about their behavior in class, which Young said is much different when his parents are involved.

After his mother spent the day at Huntington East Middle School, “she just wanted to know if I acted like that on days when she’s not here,” Young said.

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“I said I acted worse because I just wanted to be good for you,” he said.

Barnett said school officials determine student punishments on a case-by-case basis, but certain infractions still result in a traditional suspension.

“We try to avoid that at all costs,” he said, “but there are times it cannot be avoided.”

Many parents who commented about the reverse suspensions online seemed to think they’re a good idea.

“What a great idea!” Theresa Rushing Jones posted. “I am going to bring this suggestion to my school!”

“This sounds like a more humane method of disciplining inappropriate behavior in school. The parent’s presence may embarrass the child in front of his classmates, therefore running the risk of ‘peer ridicule,’” Francesca Kubian wrote. “Also, this type of parental involvement may lead to (hopefully), productive discussions at home, regarding family expectations and values.”

Others are skeptical that the reverse suspensions would work for repeat offenders.

“My experience is … that usually the student behaves when the parent is present but often reverts when the parent is gone again,” Carol Dial wrote.

“A lot of the kids who are prone to suspension are the types who are parented by the people who don’t answer the phone when the school calls,” Scott Loring added. “While this idea may work for some first-time offenders, the parents of chronic kids likely won’t make themselves available for something like this. Probably because they consider it a waste of their time.”