Chinese teacher who fled quake on new job

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-12-24 17:41

BEIJING - A former high school teacher who fled his classroom during the massive May 12 earthquake in southwest China has a new job here in a private training school.

Fan Meizhong has a two-year contract with Keyfind Education School in the Haidian District, school spokesman Zhang Wenbin told Xinhua on Wednesday.

The former Chinese language teacher at a private high school in quake-hit Dujiangyan City, Sichuan Province, was nicknamed "running Fan" by netizens after he left his students behind and escaped the classroom as the 8.0-magnitude quake struck.

The disaster left more than 80,000 dead or missing.

Fan's behavior became an object of controversy, and he was later fired.

Zhang said, however, that Fan had been hired for his extensive teaching experience and talent. At Keyfind, he'll conduct research on developing students' potential and raising their interest in learning. He'll also give some lectures, according to Zhang.

A lecture was planned for Sunday, but after word of Fan's new job got out, with the media accusing Keyfind of using the teacher for publicity, the lecture was cancelled, Zhang said.

"Fan, as a person, also needs to live," Zhang said. "We hope the media will be tolerant about Fan and give him some living space.

"Whether he was wrong or right in his quake behavior, we only want to make use of his talent," Zhang added.

He said the school had not decided what to do next about Fan's job.

Zhang said Fan, who is now in his Sichuan home, will come to the school in a few days.