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Subscribe to RSSBEIJING – Parents across China this week were shocked when two separate stories of gross physical abuse against kindergarten-aged children made national headlines.
On Tuesday, police in the city of Taiyuan, the provincial capital of Shanxi, detained a teacher at the Sky Montessori kindergarten after parents complained about alleged physical abuse there.
Closed-circuit TV video from inside the classroom -- released to the media soon after the scandal broke -- confirmed what parents had already inferred from their children's bruises and stories: that their teacher, Li Zhuqing, was slapping, kicking, hitting and verbally abusing them.
A video from a local Shanxi provincial news program (report in Chinese; footage starts around 34 seconds in) shows Li repeatedly slapping and shoving around the children over a 10 minute period. Two girls are shown being repeatedly slapped in the face while a boy is seen being slapped and then shoved into another student.
The father of one of the girls said he reported the abuse to the police after his daughter came home with a bruised eye and cheek, and explained to the news program why his daughter was singled out.
Complete Asia-Pacific coverage on NBCNews.com
"The teacher [Li] did it because she couldn't answer 10 plus one correctly," said the father, surnamed Han. He noted that his daughter could do simple single-digit addition, but could not understand Li's explanation of how to solve higher sums.
According to Han, his daughter was slapped in the face around 70 times and kicked twice, while three other children in the class were reportedly hit 43, 10 and 27 times respectively.
"She is not a teacher. She should not be a teacher. To put it plainly, she is not a human being," said Han.
The story quickly went viral and drew hundreds of thousands of comments on China's Twitter-like service Weibo.
"How can the world have people like this? Her parents should be ashamed of having a daughter like that!" wrote one user. "Watching this video made me cry ... Children should never be treated like this," added another.
Li was detained under a 15-day "administrative detention," common when Chinese police are waiting to charge someone, Chinese state media reported. The Montessori school, which reportedly was unlicensed and therefore operating illegally, was also shut down indefinitely. Taiyuan city authorities pledged a month-long investigation of other municipal schools to ensure there were no other cases of abuse.
Boy held up by ears
But there was more outrage to come: Another school abuse scandal broke the next day after a picture taken at the Blue Peacock kindergarten in Wenling, Zhejiang province, circulated online.
The photo showed a teacher holding up a child by his ears -- the boy obviously in pain and the teacher grinning widely.
The teacher, Yan Yanhong, 20, was detained and police opened an investigation. Authorities revealed that she had been working without a license and that the school had been applying to certify her while she worked.
News of the abuse quickly spread around the Web, where it garnered more than 4 million posts and became a trending topic on Weibo by Thursday.
"This person is seriously sick!" wrote a disgusted Weibo user. "My child starts school next year, how frightening!" said another.
Teng Linhua, Vice-director of the Wenling Education Bureau, told the China Daily newspaper that "all teachers at private and public schools must have qualifications before being hired."
Teng said only 40 percent of kindergarten teachers in Wenling were properly qualified.
NBC News' Le Li and Johanna Armstrong contributed to this report.
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This woman is a wild animal and should be put down now!
Think this does not happen in the USA, then you are a fool. We just do not allow cameras in class rooms!
30% of all school teachers in the USA were hired from foreign countries and more then 12% in Clark County Schools where hired from China!
So, are you saying that only the teachrs from other countries do this?
Actually, I find it pretty enlightening that they are using cameras in classrooms. I figured they'd be a little more closed about it. And then to put it on TV where it would obviously draw a negative reaction. Damn oppressors of speech and liberties. What the hell?
Where did you get the assumption out of my post that only teachers from foreign countries do this? I have seen plenty of cell phone video's of American teachers also abusing children in classes!
My own daughter accuse a teacher 10 years ago of hitting and kicking her in class and was so scared I had to transfer her to a new school. 3 months later we heard another report of the same American Teacher abusing another child. The school just covered it up.
5 years ago I petitioned public schools to install Internet cameras in all classes and was laughed right out of the meetings... Not by the school admins or teachers, but by the parents themselves. One of those parents was of the other abused child!!
My 8 year old son is home schooled and I would never ever again trust a public school teacher or even most of the parents that send their children to public schools.
It amazes me that no one has mentioned that in the USA if you have witness abuse, you can get a lawyer and he will take care of it. Also, kids today will speak up for each other and abuse in a classroom can be taken care of in a nonhostile way. My granddaughter and another student turned in a student who was constantly verbally abusing another student and the abuser got taken out of school for a while. He was much nicer when he came back. I know of two instances in the last couple of years where teachers were terminated for verbally abusing students. Schools don't want to see your lawyer come to the school. Also, teachers don't want to end up in court and losing their jobs so they will straighten up when confronted with abuse. Why leave it up to the school? Take action if you know of anyone being abused.
It is terrible what she did to that innocent child and she needs to be punished for it. But I noticed that there were only six or seven kids in the class. I wish the class sizes in elementary schools here that small.
this was not a public school but a Montesorri privately run school. And, a noncredited one at that. They have Montesorri in America too. My Grandson went to one from preschool age thru kindergarten. They are wonderful schools and only a dozen or so kids per classroom. Occasionally a larger class but then there would be 3 or 4 teachers in that room. Ironically the founder of Montesorri expressed the importance of respecting children in the teaching environment. abuse in his school?...not a Montessori behavioral tactic. (just being snide)
"He noted that his daughter could do simple single-digit addition, but could not understand Li's explanation of how to solve higher sums.".....why does the parent even feel the need to explain? His daughter was beaten by a teacher--can't these people take a breath one time in their life?
just wait for long division. See what happens in that class.
when...oh when.....will those people start speaking proper english????
I had a horribly abusive 4th grade teacher back in the 1960's in the East Detroit School system. The nasty, old woman I had for a "teacher" repeatedly slapped me in the face, punched, and shook me all because I didn't know how to tell time. She got away with all her abuse for years. Unfortunately, there are still psychopaths in this world that shouldn't be employed in the teaching profession--they should be jailed or institutionalized for our protection.
She should've been slapping, punching and shaking herself, because apparently she didn't know how to teach.
Montessori? Who sanctioned this school. Does the kid get brain damage? If my teacher in Kindergarten hit me they would have been knocked out for a long sleep by nap time. Chinese are Sheeple.
Wow Nagurski you are so right......No" look the other way sheeple" at Penn state or the Catholic church.Right?
Any crime against defenseless children are intolerable!!!!! Lock this monster up! Make her pay for her action dearly. She likes to physically abuse children? She deserves the "Saudi Police slap" punishment until she is fully aware of what it feel to be physically punished.
Take the bitch to the wood shed and give her a taste. She is a sick person who needs jailed.
Truly, I'm shocked and thrilled that this behavior has caused outrage in a nation famous for instilling "respect," "honor," and "discipline" (of a very peculiar brand) at all costs. Often, the fact that an individual is hired as a teacher is sufficient to bow down to any level of authoritative abuse (check China's athletic trainers in pre- and elementary schools). Perhaps it was never imagined or believed these actions happened before. I'm saddened that it has happened to these children (and who knows how many more), but I'm also ecstatic to hear it has been uncovered and unmasked. The fact that "educators" feel comfortable acting this way in front of cameras suggests they weren't terribly concerned about supervisors' disapproval.
Who cares what country this took place in. This should be put out there. These exact same things (and worse) happen to kids in the USA. People need to be made aware of it. And it clearly states in the title that this happened in China so for those of you saying "its china's business, leave it in china"....you obviously cared enough or were curious enough to watch it anyway.
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O.M.G. I would be in prison because I'd kill the b*tch.
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This is not "China's problem", any child abuse is all of our problem. Mita-kuya-oyasin, We are all related. I hope this person is never again allowed in or near a classroom.
I see no problem with what she did. Chinese students are smarter and more disciplined then American students, so in my opinion if thats what it takes so be it. Maybe if all teachers were like this then we wouldnt have so many kids grow up to back talk and be unresponsible
I wasn't beat in school and if they had tried to, I would have rebelled against authority even more than I already do. Disapline and respect are not beaten into anyone...it is learned.
srctimer... You are a poor excuse for a human being. Discipline is one thing, abuse is a whole other animal!
srctimer, your right, lets start with your kid. Will all take turns slaping and kicking it untill it learns. Your an ass.
I hope that's sarcasm coming from you, srctimer, or else you're a truly disturbed individual. If we all had teachers like this we'd all be droolig in our bibs from brain damage or worse.
I wanna F that B up.
I see no problem with what she did. Chinese students are smarter and more disciplined then American students, so in my opinion if thats what it takes so be it. Maybe if all teachers were like this then we wouldnt have so many kids grow up to back talk and be unresponsible
Fear doesn't make a kid learn. It actually distracts them and makes them lose mental focus (that's Early Childhood Education 101). It's obvious by the video she's not punishing the kids for their behavior. They're all sitting down working.
P.S. Stay away from kids, cause you don't know shyt.
Yup, srctimer, beating hell out of kids just improves them overall. That's why kids who get the hell beaten out of them are not filling up our prison system, minimum wage jobs, etc when they grow up. I pray you do not have a kid, an animal or a spouse.
srctimer- You are truly a sick person. Hope you don't have any children. Anyway, with the internet, it will get harder and harder for any person or country to hide any type of abuse. The internet opens up the world to all people and we are seeing the result of it in countries that have been suppressed for so long. They are fighting for their freedom and given time, they will get it. No dictator or oppressor of any sort will be able to hide their hostilities.
This makes me absolutley sick. if that was my kid id beat the hell out of that lady. that is so wrong! like wtf! f***ing jail her! My pain and sorrows go out to the children and families, hope they are strong and that this doesn't affect them too much!!! just wow thought like really. ppl need to get a hold on themselves.
Abusing like these are common in developing country, especially in Asia. We were beaten by cane stick while I was in elemetry school even in high school when I was Asia. This is part of asian culture.
This woman needs to have the mothers of these kids that she abused, take her out back of the school and show her how the kids felt...physically!!!, emotionally!!! If this woman did this to my kids...breathing would be a problem for her.
If these children and going to own and run the USA someday they need to learn how to take a punch. This is preparing them for their future.
Besides, it's China. It's not like they don't (literally) have a Billion other kids.
You're an idiot!
I think the teacher should be asked a series of questions and every time she gets the answer wrong she should be slapped, kicked, punched or shoved...and I want to watch it all!
Maybe this is the reason the students do so well in school, they are scared half to death to make a mistake.
Really?....you think. You must have been abused a lot...you are SO SMART. I think they do so well because they are taught respect and family respect and honor mean a lot to them. Excelling is appreaciated not like here. Students here label smart kids nerds and brown nosers and kissing up if they want to do well. Oh, and then their are the gangsters that accuse their peers of being uncle toms or accuse them of acting white if they want to read a book. Yeah, it's wouldn' hurt if American kids were taught how to give and get respect and not from a fast fist/hand.
Now I see why Chinese students are so far ahead of U.S. students, they use the learn or die technique, what a backwards country, talk about human rights, they have none.