Me first: Teacher abandons students in Chinese earthquake
June 18, 2008 by Fred HosierPosted in: In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, That's how they do it in ______
Some companies appoint emergency captains to make sure all employees are evacuated during an emergency. However, in certain situations, there’s a general understanding that employees have special responsibility for some groups, such as the young, elderly, or physically challenged.
Employees at a nursing home would do their best to evacuate residents, for example. You’d also expect adult employees at schools to help students get out safely.
That expectation is why a high school teacher in earthquake-ravaged Dujiangyan, China, has been fired.
Fan Meizhong fled his classroom before his students during last month’s devastating earthquake.
He fled so fast, he was the first one out of the building. He’s been branded “running Fan” on Internet chat-rooms and has been denounced in the media for his actions.
None of the children in his class died in the quake.
Internet posters have noted that in many other cases, teachers in China died protecting children during the earthquake.
June 20th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
It’s like the Seinfeld episode when George flees the fire knocking school children aside. Reality stranger than fiction.
June 20th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
It is easy to criticize this teacher for being negligent and irresponsible. It also is easy to feel confident that you and I would do the right thing. What is not so easy is to gurantee how we might react in the moment the earth begins to shake.
June 25th, 2008 at 11:09 am
Fear is a powerful emotion. It can motivate us to act or to flee. It is easy for us to sit and pass judgement, but unless you are put into a situation where your life may be on the line you can not say how you will react. Most living heros will tell you that they were scared when they acted.
June 25th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
It wasn’t just the fact that he neglected his students, he showed no regrets afterwards for doing so. He spoke on TV that unless it were his daughter that he MIGHT consider to help, otherwise, he’d done it again if it were his mother. People are selfish, at least I’m to a certain degree. Had I done the same, I would have felt guilty. He makes you think what gets him….very hard to believe…
July 8th, 2008 at 4:48 am
You probably don’t have to dig very deep to find other character flaws. Not soeone I would want teaching children.