Two teachers from a Vladivostok school have been suspended following an incident with a disobedient student. A female teacher unable to control a student’s disorderly behavior asked help from a physical education instructor who trying to restore order in the classroom physically assaulted the student. Authorities have initiated a criminal case against teacher Valery Baulin, while a group of students has started collecting signatures in his support. The incident and its consequences were reported on September 28th by TASS and the Vl.Ru news outlet.
On September 27th, a video surfaced online, in which a teacher from school № 21 in Vladivostok physically assaulted a sixth-grade student. The student's behavior disrupted the class, and the teacher asked physical education instructor Valery Baulin for assistance. On September 28th, the regional Ministry of Education suspended both educators, with the eventual dismissal. Baulin, a teacher with 20 years of experience, now faces charges for neglecting his responsibilities in the upbringing of a minor.
"I’m sorry but because of the boy, I lost my cool. I was wrong. I've extended my apologies to him and his parents," Baulin said to the Regnum publication.
However, on September 28th, some students began collecting signatures in the teacher’s support. Among the signatories were parents of students who see the teacher as a "cheerful and kind-hearted individual." According to Vl.Ru, they managed to gather several dozen signatures.
"Valery Vasilyevich is known for his self-control. It takes a strong effort to provoke him. I've been practicing sambo with him for two years now. I believe he raised his hand to the boy because the child deliberately provoked him to an emotional response," one of the students said.
School employees have been punished for violence against students in various regions. In Perm, a principal was captured on video grabbing a student by the neck. Following the video's publication, the Department of Education initiated an investigation. Former students of the principal sent a collective letter to government officials in his support.
At another school in Perm, a teacher was fined for calling a student a "bastard." The teacher accused the student of disloyalty and a lack of patriotism because he was late for a rehearsal of a February 23rd concert.
