A primary school teacher in eastern China who slapped a student in the face nine times after the boy called out his name has sparked controversy on the mainland.
According to the parents of the Primary Five student in Zoucheng of Shandong province, when he and his classmates were resting in a playground during a physical education class on March 14, he saw their mathematics teacher walking nearby and called out his name.
The teacher, surnamed Wu, became irritated, thinking the boy had shown disrespect to him. He approached the group of students, found the boy who called out his name, and slapped him in the face, Huashang Daily reported.
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Despite the unidentified boy bowing twice in apology to the teacher, and another teacher trying to persuade Wu not to beat the boy, he did not stop his violence.
In total, the boy was slapped nine times. His face became swollen, he suffered tinnitus and had a continuous headache, his parents said.
“My son has been in a state of panic. I am wondering what action of his prompted an adult man to beat him,” the boy’s mother said on social media.
She said she had taken her son to hospital, where he was diagnosed with head and face injuries.
The family, who called in the police, also brought the issue to the notice of the school authorities, calling on Wu to be fired.
“Who gave you the right to hit my kid? If he did something wrong, you can contact me. You have my telephone number, right?” the mother asked the teacher, according to the media report.
Wu replied: “I know. But I am an old man in my 50s. He called my name loudly and in a bantering way. This was extremely disrespectful.
“So I slapped his face. I think he should discipline his mouth,” added the teacher.
The school has suspended Wu from his teaching position and offered 5,000 yuan (US$700) in compensation to the boy’s family. The money was declined by the family.
The local education authority said they are investigating the case, and vowed to deal with the matter seriously and “based on law and regulations”.
The story received a mixed reaction on mainland social media.
“No parent could tolerate this. What the teacher did crossed the line. He has a propensity for violence and must be fired,” said one online observer.
“The teacher can educate the boy, but should not resort to violence,” said another.
But some others supported the teacher.
“The boy is so badly behaved. It is a Chinese tradition to respect teachers and family elders. Many people have forgotten this moral standard.”
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