Although we may take a hard stance on bribery and corruption, a kindergarten in China has gone above and beyond after it fired its principal because she accepted a small box of chocolates worth 85 US cents (RM3.60) from a pupil.
According to South China Morning Post, Wang, the head of Sanxia Kindergarten in Chongqing, southwestern China, has since taken legal action against her former employer after being dismissed in September last year.
CCTV footage of the nursery showed a boy handing a plastic bag containing the box of chocolate to Wang. Wang accepted the gift from the boy and hugged him. The report said she later shared the chocolate with other children in the kindergarten.
For illustration purposes only
The student’s gift is believed to come from the tradition where young pupils in China often send gifts or greeting cards to their teachers ahead of the annual Teachers’ Day on September 10.
Wang said the kindergarten informed her that she was fired because she accepted the gift from the boy and that 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.
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 that the chocolate was given out of love and respect from the student and that the teacher’s action should not be characterised as accepting gifts.
Although the kindergarten filed an appeal, the Chongqing No 5 Intermediate People’s Court has since upheld the original verdict after the second hearing of the case.
We hope that the principal can find a better job elsewhere!
