A fifth-grade teacher’s disciplining of a student by tying one end of a plastic rope around the student’s waist and the other to the legs of a desk has infuriated parents in Tali City (大里市), Taichung County.
While the teacher has said that it was a “creative method” of punishment, the student’s parents complained that it was out of line, asking: “Do you think our child is a dog?”
The elementary school student involved said that the teacher also had classmates escort him to the bathroom by leading him with the rope.
PHOTO: CHEN CHIEN-CHIH, TAIPEI TIMES
The student said that on the second day of being tied up in class, he called his parents for help.
When the student’s parents arrived and saw their child tethered to the desk, they took a picture as evidence and confronted the teacher.
In response, the teacher, surnamed Chen, argued that she did not think she had done anything wrong, saying that it was a “creative” way of disciplining students who do not pay attention in class. However, Chen told parents that if they did not like the method she would not use it again.
School staff said the teacher in question had taught for almost 20 years and since learning about the issue, they have held two investigations into the teacher’s methods. A third investigation will be held soon, the school said, after which a decision on the teacher’s future will be made.
Asked for comments, Wang Hsiu-yen (王秀燕), head of the Taichung County Social Affairs Department, said the teacher’s actions were in breach of the Children and Juveniles Welfare Law (兒童及少年福利法) and that the teacher could be fined between NT$30,000 and NT$150,000.
Chang Pi-hua (張碧華) of the Humanistic Education Foundation said: “The teacher’s actions were a serious breach of the student’s rights.”
Unless students cause danger to themselves or others, they should not be disciplined, she said, adding that telling students to stand in the corner is the most widely used punishment. This method alone makes students feel embarrassed and uncomfortable, she said.
However, a method that involves “walking a student around like a dog” in front of his fellow classmates not only causes embarrassment, but could also cause anxiety and fear and could have severe long-term physical and psychological effects on the student, she said.
Citing Article 13 of the Children and Juveniles Welfare Law, which stipulates that nobody can hurt or abuse a child, Chang said the teacher’s actions constituted severe physical and psychological abuse.
Teachers should handle their classes according to the needs of their students and not just use their authority to discipline students, she said, adding that teachers should strive to find out whether students understand class content and whether their learning needs are being satisfied, rather than using harsh methods to discipline them.
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