Teacher gets pay cut for putting chalk in yawning student’s mouth

Wednesday 29th July, 08:14 AM JST

KOCHI —

The head teacher at a public elementary school in Kochi Prefecture had his salary cut by 10% for three months after putting chalk in a student’s mouth, it was learned Tuesday following an announcement from the Kochi Prefectural Board of Education.

The male teacher in his 50s put chalk in a boy’s mouth on June 24, after warning the class that he would do so to the next student who yawned. The boy is said to have told the teacher that he didn’t mind and opened his mouth, and the teacher put the chalk around 3 centimeters long in the boy’s mouth for a couple of seconds. The boy was absent from school the next day and only turned up to school four more days before classes finished for the summer break.

The teacher has apologized and pledged to do better in the future.

News reports

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Latest 15 of 70 Total Comments Show All

sharky1 at 11:59 PM JST - 29th July

The teacher didn't promise not to do it again, the teacher promised he would do better. Don't know exactly what that means, but it sounds to me like he plans to use flavored chalk next time.
gaijintraveller at 12:02 AM JST - 30th July

If the student said he did not mind, he was openly challenging the teacher's authority. That challenge invited the response which he got. He should have blamed himself for being stupid, not the teacher for asserting his authority.

It is the teacher's job to teach the class. Sometimes it is necessary to silence an individual who disturbs the class so that others may receive the lesson that they want to have.
LoveUSA at 12:07 AM JST - 30th July

How dare they expect to go to class without toxic substances being placed in their mouths!

Chalk is not toxic material. It contains calcium.
amerijap at 12:31 AM JST - 30th July

This teacher's behavior is no less problematic than student's challenge to authority. The teacher made the wrong choice for his action on this student. Physical discipline is unnecessary, period.
LFRAgain at 01:24 AM JST - 30th July

JenniferKim,

Not defending anyone. Just explaining why I don't think this is a big deal. The three-month, 10% pay cut would suggest this principal's superiors, as well as the PTA, feel the same. But don't let that stop you from raging on

"So if I assault a kid at my school . . . and he/she skips school for a few days after that, I should blame it on his/her attitude?"

Well, only if you're purposely trying to be obtuse. But then again, I guess I shouldn't berate you for what seems to be an obvious misinterpretation – creative or otherwise – of my original post. To refocus your energies, I never said the student leaving school was strictly due to his own negative attitude. I said that there was likely more to this than just what we see here in the above story. At the risk of belaboring a point I already made once, this event didn’t occur in a vacuum. But never mind that; you go ahead and pick up the slack in outrage that I can’t. Be my guest.

And "assault?" You might want to brush up on the legalese for actual “assault.” Generally speaking, it involves a threat of violence, and at the minimum, even simple assault, as per “unwanted physical contact,” would require the prerequisite of lack of consent. Nothing in the article suggests that the teacher forcibly “crammed,” "shoved", "pushed," "thrust," or “stuffed” the chalk into the student’s mouth. That would be assault.

However, the article says that the teacher “placed” the chalk into the boy’s open mouth --- No, not “yawning” mouth --- Open mouth.

I know, I know: Those damnable constructs we call "words" - They're just so pesky when they concisely describe one thing, and you desperately want them to mean another. But alas, according to the article, the boy said he didn't mind if the teacher placed chalk in his mouth, then opened his mouth for the teacher to place the chalk therein. The boy gave consent. And he got what he asked for.

Good luck convincing any judge or jury that this fool of a child was, ahem, "assaulted." Nice try, but I think you're probably far guiltier of creative lawyering here than I.

Oh, and chalk is not toxic. The primary ingredient of chalk is calcium sulfate, which is used in the production of some forms of tofu, resulting in a higher, and thus important source of dietary calcium for many Asian nations.

http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/cis/products/icsc/dtasht/_icsc12/icsc1215.htm

But again, you just carry on with your "outrage." I’m lacking sufficient motivation tonight, I’m afraid.
virgo at 02:16 AM JST - 30th July

These kids need a smack upside the head and some failures. Weak ass schooling breeds weak ass people.
Fadamor at 02:22 AM JST - 30th July

If the boy said he didn't mind and opened his mouth on purpose, then he invited the teacher to put the chalk in his mouth. That's not assault.

The boy was absent the June 25th (no reason given) and only attended four more times before Summer break started. So how many days did he miss, total?
onewrldoneppl at 03:55 AM JST - 30th July

yawning children often have many after-school sports/acadamic commitments. that and the fact that they go to bed late/wake up very early in the morning; only adds to their level of fatigue. some of them come from broken homes, where there's only one parent who works a night shift. TV is their babysitter/only friend. instead of chalking children's mouths, maybe he should try to learn the reasons behind the yawning. what a chutzpa this guy is.
DS at 07:40 AM JST - 30th July

I agree that yawning, like peeing, is a natural act. However, like peeing, it also needs to be restrained in certain situations. It isn't too much to ask a child over 6 or 7 years old to at least make the attempt to cover or stifle a yawn. In my classes, I tell the kids their options- cover a yawn with their hand, use a book to hide it, or at least do it with your mouth closed. Given the state of dental and oral hygiene here, the last was my preferred option. But just sitting and giving a huge open mouthed 15 second 'good morning' yawn is simply disrespectful and teachers are correct to try and change such behavior.
Simp at 01:22 PM JST - 31st July

who uses chalk anymore? I thought everyone used dry-erase boards these days?
Redeemed at 03:42 AM JST - 1st August

What if he had accidently swallowed it? The teacher should not have done it even though he said he would.
carlosgodoy1 at 08:13 AM JST - 1st August

Just the basic rule- Teacher doesnt TOUCH the students. Avoids all this nonsense from happening.
Stranger_in_a_Strange_Land at 08:10 PM JST - 1st August

Personally, I don't see an uncovered yawn as any big deal, not particularly disrespectful or anything. I do it myself very occasionally in the high school I teach part-time at when I'm sleepy.

Also, I don't see the big deal with putting a piece of chalk in a kid's mouth, either. A bit odd, but not dangerous.

It seems to me people like to make a big deal out of nothing compared to like 30 years ago.
RandomTask at 10:06 AM JST - 2nd August

The teacher should have been fired. It's an insane thing to do to a child. Teachers are there to help children learn.
societymike at 10:22 AM JST - 4th August

I think this was awesome and the teacher should not have apologized. If it was my kid being a little smart ass, I would expect him to be disciplined. I support the teachers decision. People are waaay too weak these days.