Teacher Reported After Pulling Student’s Ear for Not Doing Homework Sparks Debate On Modern Parenting

Do kids these days have it too easy? And are parents becoming too protective of their children?

For one teacher in Malaysia, the answer is a firm “yes”. To both questions.

The teacher was reportedly called in by the school administration after pulling a student’s ear for refusing to complete his homework.

She later texted a colleague, saying: “He didn’t finish the homework I gave two months ago. After I pulled [his ear], his dad lodged a report. Since then, I’ve just ignored that student.”

Her colleague, who is also a teacher, shared a screenshot of the message online, writing that the incident was “a reflection of what many educators are going through today.”

The post quickly went viral, and, unsurprisingly, struck a chord with many teachers.

The general sentiment? It’s becoming increasingly difficult for educators to discipline students without facing backlash.

One former secondary school teacher wrote: “Students these days think they’re grown up and dare to talk back. And this was just about homework! They behave like this because they know teachers can’t touch them — their parents will side with them no matter what.”

Another teacher shared a similar experience, recalling: “I scolded a student for playing with glue and making slime on the table. That night, his mom texted me saying my scolding might ‘stress her child out’ and make him not want to go to school anymore.”

She added: “Teachers can’t even raise their voice now.”

The majority of netizens sided with the teachers, agreeing that being an educator today is far from easy.

Many argued that teachers deserve more respect and that parents need to recognise that discipline does not equal abuse.

Some also pointed out that modern parenting styles have become overly lenient, making teachers hesitant to correct students for fear of complaints.

Educators, what do you think: has teaching really become that much tougher?

Photos: MChe Lee/ Unsplash, RDNE Stock project/ Pexels