China: Low-Scoring Teachers Forced to Stand on a “Shame” Platform

Low-Scoring Teachers Forced to Stand on a “Shame” Platform

Sichuan (China) Authorities Publicly Apologize and Launch Investigation

Translated by ChatGPT 

Lianhe Zaobao

2026-08-29

(Liangshan [China] report) At an education administration meeting in Leibo County, Liangshan Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China, teachers who were suspected of having led classes with relatively low average scores in the final examinations were arranged to stand on the platform and pose for group photographs in front of a backdrop bearing the word “shame.” After the photographs were posted online and caused an uproar, the county government publicly apologized and said it would deal seriously with those responsible based on the investigation findings.

The Paper on Friday (August 28) quoted the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China’s Leibo County Committee as saying that a joint investigation team organized by the Liangshan prefectural government had arrived in the county that day and formally begun the investigation.

In an apology statement issued that evening, the Leibo County government said that improper practices disrespecting teachers had occurred at Leibo County’s 2026 autumn education administration meeting, causing serious psychological harm to the teachers attending the meeting and creating a negative social impact.

The statement said the government felt deeply remorseful and would reflect deeply on the matter, and sincerely accept criticisms. It had also established a special working group to conduct a comprehensive investigation and would, based on the findings, deal seriously with those responsible in accordance with the law and regulations.

The Liangshan Prefecture Education and Sports Bureau told Xiaoxiang Morning Herald in an interview that the photographs circulating online had been verified as authentic. Leibo County had indeed held the aforementioned internal meeting, and the activity had also been arranged at the meeting. However, Liangshan Prefecture had never adopted similar disciplinary measures and did not allow such practices. It was currently contacting Leibo County to understand the situation.

The photographs circulating online showed that at the meeting on Wednesday, more than 20 teachers dressed in white shirts and black trousers were invited onto the platform in batches to pose for group photographs. The large screen behind them displayed, respectively, the words “Group photograph of teachers whose average scores in the 2025-2026 academic year junior middle school final examinations in Leibo County were below 15 points,” and the same wording for primary schools, except that the score was “below 30 points.” The word “shame” was prominently displayed in the center of both photographs, while the seats below the platform were filled with meeting participants.

China’s state-run CCTV.com commented on the incident on Friday, saying that Leibo County’s crude and heavy-handed management methods exposed a “lazy governance” mindset in education management: If the results are poor, it is all the teachers’ fault; if the teachers are inadequate, humiliate them publicly.

The commentary pointed out that Leibo County was designated in 2021 as one of China’s key counties receiving assistance for rural revitalization. Its weak educational foundation and basic conditions are objective realities. Blaming teachers entirely for low scores and making frontline teachers “take the blame” alone is neither fair nor scientific.