‘Education deprivation’: China mother accuses school of violating fevered son’s right to learn by separating him from classmates
- Teacher says boy was clearly sick and could have spread illness
- Furious mother slams school, claims the flu is not a serious sickness
A mother in China has accused a school of depriving her son of his right to an education after a teacher asked her to take him to hospital because he was running a high fever.
In a social media post on December 26, an unidentified secondary school principal in Zhejiang province in eastern China said the student was “so weak he could not lift his head from the desk”.
“The teacher noticed his symptoms were similar to other students who have had the flu. The student was moved to a separate classroom with air conditioning and water to avoid spreading the illness and to provide comfort to the boy,” the post said.
After calming the child, the teacher called his parents and asked them to take their son to hospital.
Rather than expressing gratitude, the mother flew into a rage, accusing the school of impeding her son’s right to an education.
“A fever is not a serious illness. Who made the rule that he cannot attend school with the flu? Just wearing a mask should be enough. You are depriving my child of his right to learn,” she said.
The boy’s mother then threatened to lodge a complaint against the school and demanded an explanation for her child being singled out.
In response, the principal said that the school offers online classes with playback options for sick or absent students, ensuring they can keep up with their studies once they recover.
He said: “We had been very considerate, and I did not anticipate such a negative reaction from a parent. Child development should be a collaborative effort among family, school, and society, not just dropping a child off at school and leaving.”
The incident, reported by the newspaper Dushikuaibao, sparked a vigorous online discussion, with many people siding with the principal.
One comment said: “The parent is careless, focusing only on studies. What’s more important, health or study? The parent should be grateful for the teacher’s prompt action.”
“If the parent prioritises health over study, they should sign a waiver. It should state that the school bears no responsibility if the child’s health worsens from attending school while ill.
“If the flu spreads, the school can coordinate with other parents for accountability,” said another.
A third online observer said: “If the school separated the child due to a fever, parents complain about unfair treatment. But if the school had done nothing and something bad had happened, the parent would also blame the teacher.”
