Imagine surfing across a social media platform and seeing a video of a distraught blue-eyed, fair-haired, European teenager whose parents who’re working in China. As she recounts, through tears and distress, how when invited by her Chinese teacher to offer a class presentation on her cultural and religious traditions, she was subjected to bullying and humiliation.
On mentioning she was a Christian her tutor viciously criticized that religion and it’s prominent leaders in front of her classmates. Such content would no doubt become viral online and attract outrage, along with sympathy and support for the girl, clearly traumatized and shocked by the abusive attack. Various agencies would be called upon to take action, instigate legal prosecution and a public campaign to show solidarity and a vigorous determination to hold those responsible to account.
We invite our subscribers and readers to watch the video testimony, posted across social-media very recently, from a Tibetan student about an incident she experienced in her school in Belgium
What this student experienced was child-abuse, she has been subjected to bullying, discrimination and humiliation. From a supposed educator with a duty-of-care to pupils, who appears to have displayed a prejudiced attitude (normally associated with Chinese ‘tutors’, who coerce and mistreat Tibetan children inside occupied Tibet).
That a ‘teacher’ from Belgium’s liberal and democratic society can so brazenly traumatize a pupil in such a disturbing and public way is deeply troubling. Not only has this educator reportedly violated a number of basic teaching principles; such as respecting the rights and cultures of each individual pupil in their care, creating and maintaining a supportive, inclusive and equitable class environment, but they’ve trashed this girl’s present education. In dropping poison into the minds of her fellow pupils they’ve also incited peer bullying and division.
How on earth can this student return to that school given the toxicity unleashed and peddled by the appalling standards of that teacher? It is a matter of urgency that the girl’s family seek legal support immediately to take action. There are a number of issues which demand investigation. Including examining the nature and degree of abuse suffered. Identifying legal responsibility and accountability, not only in regard to the ‘teacher’, but the school itself. The local education authorities also need to be questioned and their swift support demanded.
Serious questions demand examination too as to the personal, emotional and psychological damage inflicted upon this girl as a consequence. There are valid and justifiable grounds to seek compensation and damages. To best realize that, legal support experienced in child-abuse, education, children’s rights is definitely advised.
There has to be justice for this girl and her family, as a first outcome the teacher should be immediately suspended. Legal charges brought against that person and possibly the school itself. For any deficiencies of administration or monitoring, which may have lead this ‘teacher’ to assume they could behave in such a vicious, culturally insensitive, discriminatory and potentially racist fashion.
Cultures are by definition diverse, unique and possessing traditions, languages and world-views which are as varied. Unfortunately, the depth of devotion, love, duty and admiration Tibetan people have towards the Dalai Lama is often either unknown, misunderstood, or misrepresented. It is a profoundly spiritual bond. Little wonder this girl is in such a desperate sense of sadness and distress on hearing the hateful accusations issued by her teacher.
Perhaps the nearest equivalence we can offer, to give you a sense of the pain, trauma and frustration which this girl experienced, is to ask you to contemplate how your teenage version would feel if a teacher had made poisonous accusations about your mother in front of your class-mates?
We are emailing this article directly to relevant Representatives within the Government pf Belgium. If you would like to express your concern about this we invite you to express your view to the following:
Ms Caroline Desir, Ministre de l’Education – Gouvernement de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarolineDesir/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarolineDesir
Email: caroline.desir@gov.cfwb.be
Ms Bénédicte Linard, Ministre de la Culture, des Droits des Femmes, de l’Enfance, de la Santé et des Médias
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/benedicte.linard/
Twitter: @BenedicteLinardlinard
Email: linard@gov.cfwb.be
This post was originally published on Digital Activism Im Support Of Tibetan Independence.
