A school has won widespread praise after sending children to mandatory meditation instead of detention.

Robert W. Coleman Elementary School in Baltimore, Maryland, established its "Mindful Moment" program in 2016, which involves children being sent to a mindful moment room when they misbehave, CNN reports.

They are then given the opportunity to stretch and practice yoga and meditation - all with the aim of encouraging them to wind down and relax in the face of stressful situations.

The program was created through the school's partnership with the nonprofit organization, The Holistic Life Foundation.

The foundation provides a staff member in the room at all times to help the children work through whatever has caused them to misbehave.

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One pupil, for example, was sent to the mindful moment room after getting into a fight with another student.

"I did some deep breathing, had a little snack, and I got myself together," he explained. "Then I apologized to my class."

The room's importance is emphasized by the fact that many children in the area come from deprived backgrounds, with 25% of Baltimore residents living below the poverty line.

The school's principal, Carlillian Thompson, said that they even have some pupils who are homeless, which is why it's of the utmost importance that the school is a safe, relaxing environment for them.

"I've had a kid come in and look at me straight in the face with no emotions and say, 'my grandfather got shot yesterday'," foundation co-founder Andres Gonzalez said. "So you can imagine what these kids have to face."

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The success of the program speaks to itself had Principal Thompson said that he now rarely has to speak to students over disciplinary issues.

Patterson High School in East Baltimore is now following on from the elementary school's example and establishing its own program.

However, it's not just schools in Baltimore that are helping their pupils with meditation, and Horace Mann School in Beverly Hills, California, is offering mindfulness, self-awareness, and breathing as detention alternatives, Education Week reports.

Special education teacher Joshua Reitzenstein said: "We are trying to give a more positive feedback, instead of I’m going to yell at you because you're in trouble and we want you to change your behavior; we are going to say let me give you some skills that you can use on your own, so that you can make your own choices and you can change your behavior."

Featured image credit: Pixabay

School applauded for sending kids to meditation instead of detention - and the results are amazing