In a disturbing incident from China, a primary school teacher was caught on camera assaulting her students, leading to public outrage over the violent attacks on school children in the country.
According to a South China Morning Post (SCMP) report, the unnamed math teacher from Jinquan Primary School in Hunan province, central China, was filmed banging a girl's head on a desk and punching a boy's face on February 28.
The video which went viral on social media, shows the teacher pinching the girl's face, pulling her hair, and hitting her head on the desk before turning to the boy and throwing a textbook at him. Following the widespread circulation of the video online, the Education Bureau launched an investigation and suspended the teacher. Police are also conducting an inquiry, the SCMP report said, citing the Great Wall New Media.
Also Read | Huge explosion at China restaurant: 1 killed and 22 injured; vehicles damaged
What actually happened?
According to the report, the teacher pinched the girl's face, pulled her hair, and banged her head onto the desk. When the boy approached, she grabbed his face and threw a textbook at him.
{{/usCountry}}According to the report, the teacher pinched the girl's face, pulled her hair, and banged her head onto the desk. When the boy approached, she grabbed his face and threw a textbook at him.
{{/usCountry}}The girl remained quiet, keeping her head down as the teacher repeatedly hit it on the desk. When the girl stood up, the teacher forcefully pushed her away. Despite the girl's silence, the teacher continues to demand an answer to an arithmetic question, yelling, “What exactly is it?”
The teacher suddenly hit the girl's head with a book while she was focused on her work, leaving her visibly upset.
After briefly checking the boy's homework, the teacher proceeded to scold him, punching his face and tossing the girl's homework notebook at him.
Also Read | Nobel Literature laureate Mo Yan is accused in patriotism lawsuit of insulting China's heroes
Assaults by teachers on students increasing in China
The number of cases involving teachers physically attacking students is increasing in China, according to the SCMP report. Last September, social media was outraged when a nine-year-old girl had to undergo emergency treatment for a fractured skull after allegedly being struck on the head with a metal ruler by her teacher during an extracurricular school activity. The incident left a 5cm deep wound, causing the skull fracture.
In late 2023, a primary school teacher faced suspension after instructing girls caught eating in class to self-inflict slaps. She directed boys to administer further punishment if the girls' self-inflicted slaps were deemed insufficient.
In July, revelations emerged about a private school teacher's prolonged mistreatment of students, involving coercion to engage in slapping, spitting, and mutual humiliation.