Abusive teachers to face stiff penalties

By Cao Li (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-11-13 07:33

SHANGHAI -- Teachers who insult or punish students will be given a black mark on their records and fined, a district education bureau has said.

The Nanhui district education bureau said every primary and high school in the area should set up a team to settle matters involving teachers' poor preparation for class, grading of homework, drinking before class, and inflicting corporal punishment and oral abuse on students.

Corporal punishment and oral abuse are considered the most serious offenses. Teachers can face a fine equivalent to 30 or 50 percent of their annual bonus. They also face non-promotion, the bureau said.

For minor incidents, the teachers will receive a warning, or a fine of between 50 yuan ($7) and 20 percent of their annual bonus.

A team consisting of school employees will investigate incidents and pass judgment, which teachers can appeal, it said.

The bureau said the purpose is to "regulate teaching activities and effectively prevent any incidents".

Gu Jun, a sociologist with Shanghai University, said he doubts the rules will work.

"Being strict with kids is deeply rooted in Chinese culture and pressure to compete for better universities is making it worse.

"Most primary and high school students are under pressure from both their teachers and their parents," he said.

"Unless the pressure is relieved, I don't think the kids will be happier."

Jessica Gu, a mother of a 7-year-old, said: "It is good to have such rules, but I doubt they will actually work.

"Kids still have to see the same teacher every day and that will affect them."

A teacher surnamed Ji of Shisun Primary School in Nanhui district, said they had been informed of the new rules .

"We had similar rules before, only not that detailed," he said.

Last November, a high school girl in Longquan, Zhejiang province, jumped from the fifth floor of a building after being told she was "indecent" and ordered to kneel before her classmates.

The girl had loosed buttons of her blouse after a sports class. The teacher was later jailed.

In 2003, a high school girl in Chongqing, was asked to see her teacher because she was late for class.

The teacher Wang Zonghui told her in front of other students that she was not a good student, and not even good enough to be "bar girl".

The girl committed suicide by jumping from the eighth floor of a building.

Wang was given a prison sentence with a reprieve.