China kindergarten principal fired for accepting chocolate gift worth less than US$1, sues school

BEIJING: A nursery school in China fired its principal because she accepted a small box of chocolates, worth US$0.85, from a pupil.

Wang, the head of Sanxia Kindergarten in Chongqing, southwestern China, took legal action against her former employer after being dismissed in September last year, reported China National Radio.

Surveillance footage of the nursery showed a boy handing a plastic bag containing the box of chocolate to Wang, who was sitting at the front of the classroom with another teacher.

Wang accepted the gift, which cost 6.16 yuan, from the boy and hugged him.

She later shared the chocolate with other children in the kindergarten, the report said.

It is a common practice among young pupils in China to send gifts or greeting cards to their teachers ahead of the annual Teachers’ Day on Sept 10.

In some cases, competitive parents will buy extravagant gifts for their children to give to teachers.

Wang said she was informed by the kindergarten that she was fired because she accepted the gift from the boy.

The nursery claimed that Wang violated a Ministry of Education rule that prohibits teachers from requesting or accepting gifts or money from students or their parents in any form.

Wang filed her lawsuit at the Jiulongpo District People’s Court.

At the first hearing, the school’s defence was that taking the gift, regardless of its value, broke the Ministry of Education rule. It said Wang’s action harmed the kindergarten.

The court reached a verdict in March, ruling that the kindergarten had fired Wang illegally and ordered it to pay compensation.

It decided the chocolate was given out of love and respect from the student, and the teacher’s action should not be characterised as accepting gifts.

The kindergarten filed an appeal and, in August, the Chongqing No 5 Intermediate People’s Court upheld the original verdict after the second hearing of the case.

The dismissal of Wang trended on mainland social media attracting 7.2 million views on Douyin alone.

“How ridiculous! She was fired for accepting a gift worth just six yuan?” one internet user said.

“As a teacher, I feel bitterly disappointed. How serious the punishment was,” another person commented.

In an editorial published in September, Shanghai TV said: “What the public opposes is teachers soliciting gifts and parents competing to buy expensive gifts, not children’s thanksgiving deeds.” – South China Morning Post