Education in Japan

Apart from teachers sexually harassing students, lack of nourishment in meals and humiliating punishment, students may get the occasional slap around the face by a teacher.

A student aged 13 was warned to stop reading manga in class. When the student refused to listen, the teacher aged 52 slapped the student in the face causing a nosebleed.
The police have been called in to look at the indecent (source.)
Do you think the teachers actions were justified?

Another form of punishment that you will have likely have seen in anime is the "making-kids-stand-in-hallway-holding-buckets-of-water" - I guess I would prefer that than a slap to the face.
Are students physically punished in schools in your region? I hear kids in Singapore get the cane?

One place where you wont get slapped while reading manga in class is in university - I remember a few of my classes where manga was used to learn some grammar patterns.