In central China, a father publicly bound his son with rope for failing school, sparking a debate on parenting styles. - Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin
BEIJING: A man in central China bound his teenage son with rope in public because the boy was failing out of school, igniting a heated debate about parenting styles in the country.
The two were caught on video fighting in Hunan province as the boy resisted his father’s attempts to restrain him with ropes and take him to the police station, according to Mengma Video.
The altercation occurred outside a store, where the owner told local media that the father, who was not identified, was a migrant worker who had travelled 1,000km from Zhejiang in eastern China to Hunan after the boy’s teachers called to complain about him.
The shop owner said that the teenager, who was between 14 and 15 years old, regularly skipped classes and had been on the verge of dropping out for some time. It was unclear if the boy’s mother was involved in his life.
“He just hangs around on the street. He smokes and is addicted to alcohol and gambling,” the store owner said.
When the father returned to Hunan province and found the boy on the street, he informed his son that he was about to take him to a police station to “receive an education.” The boy did not comply with his father.
“Why don’t you want to go to school to study?” the father was heard saying in the video as he tried to restrain his son.
Police officers later arrived to mediate the conflict, and one officer said he spoke with both the father and son before allowing them to leave.
“After all, this boy is still young and needs to go back to school,” said the officer.
China’s nine-year compulsory education scheme requires children to attend school until they are around 15 to 16 years old.
The incident resonated with millions of mainland Chinese internet users.
“In the future, this boy will be grateful that his father literally tied him up and forced him back to school,” one online observer commented on Douyin.
Another person remarked: “This father is responsible. He did not allow his son to go unchecked.”
A third commenter noted: “Educating such a kid is challenging. You can bind his body, but you can’t bind his heart. I hope he does not resort to bad behaviour if he feels his father’s restrictions are too constraining.” - South China Morning Post
