A kindergarten teacher in eastern China has been suspended and placed under police investigation after allegedly using a hot glue gun to punish young students, leaving a four-year-old girl with burns on her upper lip. The incident occurred on May 27 at a nursery school in Fengxian County, Jiangsu Province, and has sparked widespread concern about child safety and disciplinary practices in educational institutions. Local authorities have launched an investigation while the school faces scrutiny over its supervision and safeguarding measures.
According to surveillance footage reviewed by police, the teacher, identified only by her surname Chen, was allegedly disciplining children who were talking during class. The footage reportedly shows Chen lining up several students and using a heated glue gun on them one by one. A young boy was first touched on the palm with the device, causing him to pull away in pain. Afterward, the teacher allegedly struck the boy before allowing him to return to his seat.
The footage further shows the teacher pulling a four-year-old girl forward and pressing the hot glue gun against the child’s upper lip twice as the girl attempted to move away. Reports indicate that another male teacher was present in the classroom during the incident but did not intervene. The glue gun had reportedly been prepared for a classroom craft activity intended to decorate the room, but authorities are investigating how it came to be used as a disciplinary tool.
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Later that evening, the girl's parents noticed blisters forming on her lip. The injuries reportedly worsened over time and began oozing pus, causing the child considerable pain and discomfort. Concerned about her condition, the family sought medical treatment and reported the incident to local police. The girl's mother, identified as Zhou, said she was deeply distressed after viewing the classroom footage alongside investigators.
Zhou questioned the severity of her daughter's alleged classroom behavior and expressed disbelief at the teacher’s actions. She also claimed that the teacher initially suggested the child had injured herself before later describing the incident as an accident. The conflicting explanations have further raised concerns among the family and investigators regarding the circumstances surrounding the case and the handling of the incident by school staff.
Local education authorities have confirmed that the teacher has been suspended while the investigation continues. The education department said counsellors have been assigned to support students affected by the incident and that the kindergarten has been instructed to strengthen teacher ethics training and child protection measures. Officials have not yet announced the outcome of the investigation, and authorities are expected to determine whether further disciplinary or legal action will be taken.
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