Teacher caught on video slapping student suspended by Ministry of Education

The Ministry of Education has suspended a teacher caught on video slapping a student in a public school in Ajman. This comes after footage emerged showing the teacher hitting the Grade 6 child on the back of the head and the cheek. The video was filmed by a fellow student and went viral on social networks on Wednesday. According to national news agency WAM, Minister of Education Hussain Ibrahim Al Hammadi said that corporal punishment at schools is rejected. He described the incident as “not representative of the practices of the country’s schools,” adding that mutual respect between teachers and students is the dominant principle in the UAE. "Teachers and students should strictly follow discipline regulations set by the Ministry of Education to ensure that the teacher-student relationship is more balanced." The ministry has formed a committee to investigate the incident.