A recent vocational school scandal in Beijing that involved three students who insulted their teacher by beating and cursing him in class has ignited heated criticism and fury from online.

 

The scandal, which occurred on May 22 at Beijing's Haidian Art School, was recently disclosed online by mobile-phone shot motion pictures on the shocking class scene. Enraged by these uncouth 16-year-old fellows who insulted their nearly 70-year-old teacher in class by yelling out dirty and mocking words and smashing mineral water bottles at their teacher, some 20 netizens felt shameful for these guys and stopped them Monday afternoon at their school gate, demanding them apologize openly to his teacher and netizens.

 

The netizens stopped a school van that carried these troublemaking students and was about to leave the school gate. Feeling ashamed, the three troublemakers sat still in the van and buried their faces deep into their text books. The deadlock lasted for a short while before the school's security guards came to mediate and brought the situation to a close.

 

Local reports on the same day quoted the old teacher as saying, however, that his students are, after all, still children, and he has already forgiven them. He said he doesn't plan to put any more pressure on his students, who have already got enough criticisms.

 

Xu Suxia, Headmaster of the Art School, said that the three unruly students had already been punished, and that all of them have admitted their wrongdoings earnestly. She said she has received many calls condemning the deeds of her students after the motion picture clip spread across the web, and that some of these calls have been international calls.

 

Xu said she will not expel her students, and pleads for the public to forgive them, as they are still young. Xu also vowed that her school will tighten up class orders to avoid things like this happening again.

 

Ma Ai, a psychology expert with the China University of Political Science and Law, thinks that these students did that to vent their pressure and to show off among their fellow students. He calls on teachers and students be friends first. He said that he is sure such things won't happen if a harmonious relationship is maintained.

 

 

Angered netizens stopped a school van carrying the three students who were involved in the "student-insulting-teacher scandal" on Monday, May 28, 2007. Netizens demanded them give formal apologies to their insulted teacher and the general public.

 

 

The insulted teacher interviewed by reporters on Monday, May 28, 2007. The old teacher said that his students have already apologized to him with their utmost seriousness.

 

(CRI May 30, 2007)