A primary school teacher in eastern China has sparked controversy online after slapping a student nine times just because the boy shouted his name.

According to the parents (in Zoucheng City, Shandong Province), on March 14, their 5th grade son was taking a break with his friends in the schoolyard during physical education class when he saw his math teacher walking by. The boy immediately shouted his teacher's name.

However, the teacher, surnamed Wu, became angry because he thought the student was being disrespectful. He approached the group of students, identified the boy who had called his name, and immediately slapped him in the face, according to Huashang Daily .

Even though the boy bowed his head to apologize twice and another teacher tried to stop him, Mr. Ngo still did not stop.

According to the family, the boy was slapped a total of nine times, causing his face to swell, his ears to ring, and a persistent headache. "My son was extremely frightened. I don't understand what he did wrong to make a grown man hit him like that," the boy's mother shared on social media.

She said she took her son to the hospital, where doctors confirmed he had suffered head and facial injuries. The family then called the police and asked the school to fire teacher Ngo.

"Who gave you the right to hit my son? If my son does anything wrong, you can contact me. You have my phone number, right?" the boy's mother asked the teacher, according to local media.

In response, teacher Ngo said: "I know. But I am over 50 years old. You called me by my name jokingly, which was extremely disrespectful. So I slapped you. I think you need to learn how to speak properly."

The school suspended Mr. Ngo from work and offered to compensate the student's family with 5,000 yuan (about 18 million VND). However, the parents did not accept this amount.

Local education authorities said they were investigating the incident and pledged to take strict action according to the law.

According to SCMP, the story has caused mixed opinions on Chinese social media. "No parent can accept this. The teacher's actions have crossed the line. He has a tendency to be violent and should be fired," one netizen expressed his opinion.

"Teachers can educate students, but they are not allowed to use violence," another commented.

However, some people defended the teacher. "The boy was very rude. Respecting teachers and elders is a Chinese tradition. Many people have forgotten this moral standard."

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/thay-giao-toan-bi-dinh-chi-day-vi-tat-hoc-tro-9-lan-2385315.html