Chinese boy slapped by classmates
The 12-year-old boy was repeatedly slapped by his classmates on teacher's order

A Chinese boy, 12, needed eye surgery after his teacher ordered pupils to slap him as punishment for not doing his homework.

The boy, who has not been named, was hit 40 times by classmates on the instructions of a teacher at a school in Zhengzhou, Henan province, the Express reported.

The teacher allegedly incited the pupils to hit him hard and told the class that the loudest slap would win a prize.

"After being slapped, the teacher then made me do push-ups and did not allow me to eat lunch," the boy said. "Later that night I found out that I couldn't see properly from my left eye."

The boy's mother said: "I didn't know the damage was so severe. The doctor had told me my child's eye might not be cured. The school has given us 30,000 yuan [£3,000] as compensation but after one [operation was] done we've spent it all."

Under Chinese legislation, corporal punishment is prohibited in schools, kindergartens and nurseries. Article 16 of the Compulsory Education Law 1986 states: "It shall be forbidden to inflict physical punishment on students."

According to article 37 of the Teachers' Law 1994, teachers "imposing corporal punishment on students and refusing to mend their way after being criticised" would be subject to administrative sanctions or dismissal.

"If the circumstances are serious enough to constitute a crime, [they] shall be investigated for criminal responsibility according to law," the clause continues.

A 10-year-old Chinese boy died last October after he jumped 30 floors on teacher's orders. He was punished for failing to write a self-criticism letter demanded by the teacher.

A statement posted on the school's official micro-blog described the boy's death as an "accident".

In December 2009, student Zhang Jixin, 14, from Wujing Junior Middle School in Linqu, Shandong, froze to death outside his school hostel where he had been made to stand as punishment for skipping class to buy sweets.

The teacher who punished Zhang allegedly forgot about him and went drinking with his friends.

China