Teacher blamed for student's death

By Wang Qian (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-07-17 07:15

Yang Jinggui, a teacher at Wudian Middle School, Anhui province, was ordered to pay 100,000 yuan ($14,300) in compensation to the family of a student who died in a fight with another student.

Wuhan Morning Post reported Yang was found to be responsible for not stopping the fight.

He was also suspended from work, and the headmaster, Wan Qihu, was sacked.

"I really regret what I did. I apologize for the incident and hope the family can accept my apology," Yang said.

On June 12, Yang was writing on the blackboard when a fight broke out between students Chen Kang and Yang Tao.

The two were seated beside each other and the fight started when Chen tried to move his desk, but was prevented by Yang.

Teacher Yang kept on writing on the blackboard and said: "You can continue fighting in the playground after class if you are so energetic."

Several students tried to separate the two. Yang Tao started trembling and foaming at the mouth. The teacher asked Chen and two other classmates to send Yang to the nearest hospital.

When they arrived at the hospital at about 11:10 am, doctors found the boy's heart had stopped beating.

The Changfeng county public security bureau in Anhui, said the 14-year-old student died from a "latent" disease.

The fight triggered the illness, which led his death. The police will release the official cause of death when they receive the pathologist's report.

Yang Tao's family has received a total of 205,000 yuan, 100,000 yuan from Yang Jinggui, 75,000 yuan from Wudian Middle School, and 30,000 yuan from Chen Kang's family.

Yang Jinggui joined Wudian Middle School in 1978 and was subsequently promoted to senior teacher. During his time at the school he earned a good reputation, and was highly regarded by his neighbors.

"Yang is a good man. It is a pity he had to deal with such students," the Xinhua News Agency quoted a neighbor as saying.

About six months ago, a student at the school chopped four fingers off a teacher.

"There are no regulations to protect teachers, especially in the countryside," Wang Kaiyu, a sociology professor at the Anhui Academy of Science, said.