Video: Egyptian Teacher Caning Preschoolers

Here is a video from a Romanian version of vimeo, of an Egyptian schoolteacher beating up little children who apparently are not learning their lesson to his satisfaction.

At the end of the video, it becomes clear there are other adults there watching all this without stepping in and defending the children:




MEMRI has the video as well, as well as the transcript of the Egyptian broadcast that showed the video of the caning:

Following are excerpts from a TV program showing footage of a teacher caning young children, followed by an interview with Egyptian Education Minister Dr. Ahmad Jamal Al-Din Mussa. The program aired on Dream2 TV on May 24, 2011.

Footage of a teacher caning preschoolers

Teacher: You've got to try harder.

Come here, kid.

Child: I'm sick…

Teacher: Sick, are you? I'll give you sick!

Try a little harder.

Try a little harder.

Show me yours, Abu Sharif.

What?!

Will you try harder, or won't you?

Child: Yes.

Teacher: Will you try harder or not?

Try a lot harder.

This is going to cost you dearly…

Try harder.

I don't want you to repeat that mistake.

You, Muhammad.

Try harder. Open your hand nicely.

That's the last time? Fine, for the last time.

Come here.

Girls, come in.

You, boy, come here.

You too, girl.

Come here, girl.

Come here.

Open up your hand.

Open up your hand.

Open it!

Take the pen.

I'll give you just one whack.

Just one!

There's no need?

Come, take your notebook.

Will you try harder, or won't you?

[…]

Interviewer: I don't want to talk about the teacher. I kept looking at the children. How will such a thing affect their personality? Dr. Gamal Al-Din Mussa, what do you think about this footage?

Dr. Gamal Al-Din Mussa: I have a feeling that this has nothing to do with education at any level. I think that the teacher was behaving in a way that deviates from what we would expect from a teacher.

[…]

He "has a feeling"?

The fact that Mussa cannot not speak definitively that this is not typical of the Egyptian school system--and does not react with a 'feeling' of outrage--speaks volumes about the Egyptian school system and the kinds of children, and adults, that are being produced.

The question is, how many of the other Muslim countries are beating up their schoolchildren the same way--and with what consequences?

Hat tip: MP

Technorati Tag: Egypt.