TAICHUNG, Taiwan - After a day spent feeding victims of car accidents left in a vegetative state, eight Taichung students caught riding scooters without driving permits learned more than just how to follow traffic laws.

The students, seven of them under the age of 18, from Taichung Affiliated Experimental High School of Tunghai University, were recently busted for riding scooters to school by their administrator, drillmaster Tu Kuang-wu.

Tu, a 13-year education veteran, chose a more inspirational way to discipline students, rather than simply applying corporal punishment or assigning demerits. During the weekend, Tu took the students to the Taichung Genesis Social Welfare Foundation (GSWF) to volunteer with needy patients.

'Any kind of punishment is useless; only by touching the bottom of their hearts can students learn to respect life,' Tu told The China Post in a telephone interview. Punishment is a last resort, Tu added.

Tu said that approximately 60 to 70 percent of such conditions are caused by auto accidents. In addition to GSWF, Tu also takes students to local charities and encourages them to roll up their sleeves to help people in need.

Before working as a volunteer for GSWF, Chou Ming-chih, a high school junior, said he did not know car accidents cause such a high number of vegetative patients.

'I will not ride scooters anymore before I obtain my license,' Chou added.