Chinese schoolboy dies during frog jumps punishment for talking
Education authority investigating teachers after 16-year-old falls unconscious and is found to have bleeding in his mouth, ears and nose
Authorities in central China are investigating several teachers over the death of a 16-year-old boy who died at school on Sunday while being punished for talking during nap time.
The boy, who was a boarder at Xinshao No 2 Middle School, was told by his teacher to do frog jumps up a 20-metre (65-foot) slope, which he did before falling unconscious, the government of Xinshao county in Hunan province told the South China Morning Post.
He was taken to hospital, where he was declared dead and found to have suffered bleeding in his mouth, ears and nose, Thepaper.cn reported on Wednesday.
The police found no offence had been committed, assessing that no physical contact was made by the teacher, but he and three other members of staff are being investigated by local authorities for any misconduct at work, the county government’s spokesman said.
“The police have not filed the case, but the party committee and education bureau are investigating,” he told the Post.
According to the family of the boy, surnamed Zhang, he was found talking to a classmate during nap time on Sunday afternoon and both were ordered to go to the playground to do the frog jumps as a punishment, Thepaper’s report said.
The teacher, surnamed Xie, told the pair to put their arms behind their back while jumping, and both boys jumped up the slope, according to Zhang’s family, who saw surveillance footage, the report said. It said Zhang, described by his family as strong and active, fell over upon reaching the top and lost consciousness.
Xie, the school principal and deputy, and the head of moral and political education were being investigated, the spokesman said.
