Teacher Punished for Promoting Pop Idol Worship During Class

A middle school teacher in Xiamen, Fujian Province was put on leave after sharing her enthusiasm for a Chinese pop star during a livestreamed class. The teacher sang her adulations for actor and singer Xiao Zhan, and encouraged students and parents to follow Xiao on social media. Parents, however, were not fans of the teacher’s pitch and complained to school authorities, saying the teacher was encouraging children to worship pop stars. The news follows reports of kindergarten teachers in Henan Province who similarly tried to get their students to support their favorite pop idols. Netizens called for better ethics training for young teachers.