Students Join Teacher in Brawl Against Military Instructors

From Phoenix Online:

Hunan Military Instructors Clashed with Teachers and Students; More Than 40 Injured

On [August] 24th, a clash occurrd among the Longshan county, Hunan province Huangcang High School freshmen during military education and training. Internet reports claim the military [drill] instructor used “corporal punishment” on the students, even stepping on them with his foot, and that the teacher in charge of the class was even beaten for intervening. Then, when the students stood with the head teacher in opposition against the military instructor, other military instructors joined in on the brawl. School officials say a lot of people were involved, and that the incident resulted in over 40 people being injured, with the head teacher’s injuries being relatively severe. Photo is of an injured female student.

Internet reports claim the cause of the incident to to have been a fight breaking out between some students in one of the classes and a military instructor during a break in the morning military training exercises. Because the students outnumbered him, the instructor lost. When the afternoon military training exercises began, the instructor was particularly strict with that class, punishing all of the students to do push-ups. When some of the students could no longer do more, the instructor stepped on them. When the head teacher noticed that something was wrong, the teacher came out to plead on behalf of the students, but was unexpectedly struck by the drill instructor. The students then came to the aid of their head teacher in fighting against the military instructor. It was at this moment that the other drill instructors joined in the brawl and the situation lost control, becoming a complete mess. Photo is of the scene of the incident.

A member of Huangcang high school office staff who asked not to be identified said there was indeed a clash between military instructors and teachers and students during training. “The students are freshmen, the teacher is the head teacher of the class, and there were “quite a lot” of military drill instructors involved, with the instructors having been sent by the county’s People’s Armed Forces Department.” Photo is of the scene of the incident.

This staff member said the incident ultimately caused more than 40 people injured, with the head teacher’s injuries being more serious. At present, the injured teacher and students have all been taken to the hospital for treatment, and the local Public Security Bureau, Education Bureau and other departments are dealing with the incident. As for the cause of the incident, the staff member expressed that he too did not know. The Paper has since called the Longshan Propaganda Department and Longshan Public Security Bureau, but there was no answer from either. Photo is of injured students.

An injured student.

Comments from Phoenix Online:

凤凰网陕西省西安市网友：客户端用户

These military instructors obviously lack character. How could they be qualified to educate others??

凤凰网甘肃省网友：手机用户

If the drill instructors have such balls, they should go on the battlefield instead of attacking their own countrymen. China needs to reduce do some weeding of its military.

凤凰网广西网友：南宁网友 (responding to above)

Make sure you’re clear on what happened before commenting. Maybe the military instructors were forced to defend themselves. You can’t just look at the injured people and assume the injured were in the right.

凤凰网安徽省芜湖市网友：遥望苍穹的倔驴

Today’s students not being very easy to manage is definitely true, but using corporal punishment on students is definitely an expression of incompetence and inability, because those who are unable to persuade people through reason often use forces instead.

凤凰网新浪微博网友：徽博菅理员

Military training is the first lesson about society. It should not be cancelled. [There has been a growing call in modern Chinese society to retire these sort of military exercises for civilian students].

Comments from QQ:

北极光

Military training is essentially a just going through some motions. It really would be better to just add some extra physical education classes.

无痕

The character of the military instructors need to be improved.

指尖de柔情【闲聊勿扰】

This kind of compulsory military training is simply unnecessary, and only serves to increase the financial burden on parents. Or does anyone expect them to be able to go fight a war on the front lines? To put it bluntly, it’s just nonsense. Even with a month of military training, the students’ bodies/health won’t be that much better. Bodily health is something that changes gradually over long periods of time. [Good health] requires long-term perseverence in training and exercise.

与阳光跳舞

What is the difference between this kind of instructor and a thug?

戴天罰惡·曉龍

It’s meaningless to say who is right or who is wrong now. The instructor using his foot to step on the students was trampling on others’ dignity and self-respect. This is trampling on Chinese citizens’ human rights.