Chinese teachers publicly shamed on stage for students’ low test scores, sparking outrage
An impoverished county in southwestern China issued an apology for arranging its primary and junior secondary school teachers on stage to pose for photos alongside prominent characters depicting humiliation due to their students’ low test scores. The images, which went viral on social media, sparked widespread public condemnation. They were captured at an internal meeting organised by the Leibo…
In a remote and impoverished county in southwestern China, primary and junior secondary school teachers were publicly shamed on stage due to their students' low test scores, sparking widespread outrage. The Leibo County Education Bureau in Sichuan province organized an internal meeting in late August, during which over 20 primary school teachers and another 20 junior secondary school teachers were instructed to stand on stage for group photos.
Behind them, a large screen displayed the median scores from their students' recent exams, which were below 30 and 15 out of 100, respectively, with the humiliating characters "humiliation" prominently displayed in the center. The images quickly went viral on social media, garnering over 100 million views. The incident has sparked public condemnation, with netizens questioning the respect shown towards teachers.
Teachers themselves have expressed empathy for their colleagues, acknowledging the challenges of teaching in such a disadvantaged area. Domestic media has criticized the local authorities for their heavy-handed management approach, which does not address the root causes of poor student performance but merely shames teachers, potentially complicating their retention.
In response to public backlash, the Leibo county government issued an apology, expressing deep regret for their actions and initiating an investigation into the incident. Despite China's 2020 New Era Education Assessment Reform Plan, which advises against prioritizing students' scores solely, this approach remains prevalent, with schools excelling in significant examinations still favored within society.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
