In China's Yunnan, Teacher Slaps Student. His Mother Claims It Led To Vitiligo

A mother in China’s Yunnan province has claimed that her 11-year-old son developed Vitiligo after his teacher slapped him for not completing his mathematics homework. This incident took place at Yifu Primary School. The mother claims she had to take her son Liu to the hospital after she noticed a visible swelling face, the South China Morning Post reported.

Three months later, Liu’s skin began losing its pigment, showing symptoms of Vitiligo. As per reports, a forensic investigation is underway to decide suitable action against the teacher.

A classmate told Liu’s mother that the teacher brought him to the front of the classroom and slapped the right side of the boy’s face three times and the left once. The mother also alleges she has been unable to reach out to the teacher and should be reimbursed for the medical costs either by the school or the teacher.

While the exact cause of Vitiligo remains uncertain, experts suggest the condition can develop through environmental stress factors. The National Institutes of Health further mentions that despite being non-contagious, people with vitiligo experience higher levels of anxiety or depression. This may also happen due to difficulties in social situations, as many feel out of place or deal with misconceptions about the condition.

While the government has banned corporal punishment in schools, incidents of teachers abusing students continue to be a massive problem in China. In 2023, a teacher from Bocai Meixihu Primary School in Changsha faced criminal charges for hitting a 9-year-old student on her head with a metal triangular ruler. The incident happened during an extracurricular activity. The impact caused a deep 5 cm wound and fractured the girl’s skull. She required emergency surgery to remove bone fragments from her head, which took nearly five hours. During the time, the teacher Song Mouming, was detained for intentionally assaulting the child.

As per SCMP, speaking to local media, the girl’s aunt said, “Her brain is almost coming out. It could have been fatal.” While her father added, “There is still no feedback from the school. I don’t know what to think now, but what I want is to save my girl.”