Teacher slaps elementary student nine times after being called by his name
An elementary school student in China was physically abused by his teacher after calling him in a "loud" and "bantering way."
In a report by Huashang Daily carried by the South China Morning Post, parents of a primary five student in Zoucheng of Shandong province said that their child was hanging out with his classmates in a playground during a physical education class when he saw their mathematics teacher nearby.
When the student called out his surname, Wu, the teacher, believing it was disrespectful, approached the group. He then slapped the student nine times.
The boy tried to apologize by bowing his head twice, while another teacher attempted to intervene and asked Wu to stop beating the child. However, he continued until the boy's face became swollen.
According to the parents, their child also experienced ringing in his ears as well as a continuous headache, prompting them to take him to a hospital where he was diagnosed with head and face injuries.
"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.
They have contacted school authorities regarding the teacher's actions and asserted that he should be dismissed from the institution.
During a confrontation, the mother asked Wu, "Who gave you the right to hit my kid? If he did something wrong, you can contact me. You have my telephone number, right?"
Wu argued, "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."
Wu has now been suspended from his position for an undisclosed time.
While the school tried to offer the boy's family compensation amounting to 5,000 yuan (P39,444), they declined to accept the money.
The incident is now being investigated by the local education authority, assuring that they are looking into the matter "based on law and regulations."
