Protecting and balancing rights in the classroom

A 47-year-old high school English teacher in Bengbu, East China's Anhui province, was reportedly downgraded from his post on Monday, for slapping a mischievous student, after the student put a sticker saying "I am a turtle, and I am not afraid of anyone" on the teacher's back and refused to remove it. Comments:

Admittedly, small clashes between teachers and students exist in most schools, but not many may guess it is the teachers who usually fall prey to almost unanimous online condemnation when it comes to incidents like the one in Bengbu. As a result, local education authorities and the schools involved may be compelled to pander to this so-called public opinion at the expense of the accused teachers' interests, without acknowledging the basic facts of the incident.

Beijing Youth Daily, June 9

Sticking a note saying "I am a turtle" on a teacher's back actually constitutes a personal insult to the teacher, especially given the fact that such a prank was from a high school student during a class. The ubiquitous calls for better protection of students rights can easily go to the other extreme of diminishing teachers' rights, thus leaving very limited room for them to punish students in an acceptable and appropriate manner.

Beijing News, June 9

Apparently, it was the sticker that led to the clash between the teacher and the student. Hence local authorities should conduct a thorough investigation based on the sticker, and more importantly, make sure that both the actions of the teacher and the student are assessed according to relevant regulations.

eastday.com, June 9