A Vietnamese English language teacher achieved notoriety earlier this week by calling one of her students a "pig brain" after he refused to pay a VND100,000 (US$4.4) fine for failing to hand in his homework on time.
As Tuoi Tre reports, Nguyen Thi Kim Tuyen, who, until recently, taught at English center MST English, was caught on camera having an argument with one of her students. The student had not brought in his homework and, as a result, Tuyen asked him to pay a VND100,000 fine.
According to its official website, the English center promises a "discipline of steel" in the classroom, which includes fines for students not handing in work. At the beginning of the course, students, parents, teachers and the center sign an agreement acknowledging the policy.
A fellow student filmed the confrontation and posted the video on Youtube. The clip has received 2.5 million views and sparked debate in the comments section.
In the video, the learner refuses to pay the fine. Following this challenge of her authority, Tuyen says she will not continue to teach the class unless he pays the fine and reminds him of the agreement he signed at the beginning of the course.
The student retaliates, calling his teacher a "fraud." The row escalates quickly, turning into a war of words in which the teacher starts using offensive terms such as "pig brain" and claiming the classroom was her "playground." Eventually, the student throws his books onto the floor and leaves the room, but not before claiming he will sue both his teacher and the English center.
In response, the school, which is actually unlicensed, has been shut down by Hanoi's education department. Tuyen was also fined VND5 million for her actions and banned from teaching.
It doesn't stop there, however. Nguyen Duc Chung, chairman of the municipal administration, has ordered a further investigation into the incident, and to impose stern punishments on Tuyen for all wrongdoings.
The organization behind the center, MST Education System JSC, is also run by Tuyen. It faced a fine of VND20 million for operating an education center without permission from local authorities.
[Photo via Tuoi Tre]
