A video of a school teacher in China using a washcloth to remove makeup from students’ faces has gone viral on one of the country’s most popular social media platforms, Weibo, the Dailymail reports.
The event happened on September 10, 2019, just beyond school grounds in the southern Guizhou province, according to Beijing News. Female students are shown lining up to get their makeup removed by the teacher, who dips the cloth in water and washes the face of each student by hand.
According to the Dailymail, the school had previously banned the use of cosmetics when students began applying makeup more frequently, but the teachers had not used this method before. A representative from the school said the administration felt a responsibility to guide the students’ behavior as many of them live far from their parents who work in larger cities. Without the guidance of their parents, officials worry that the students develop the wrong values.
The footage has caused debate. Many people on the social media platform argued about whether or not students should be allowed to wear makeup in school. Further scrutiny was directed at the teacher himself and whether or not his actions stepped beyond his boundaries.
The majority of people who participated in Weibo’s online poll agreed with the school’s policy. Many concurred they don’t want their own children wearing makeup in school. Some agreed with the teacher’s actions, saying he deserves their respect.
Most of the opposition was directed at how the makeup was removed. Some argued that the method the teacher chose to remove the makeup was inappropriate even if the students shouldn’t wear makeup in school.
A representative from the school conceded that the method may not have been ideal, but the administration had failed to enforce the policy prior. He said that since the incident, more students have been following the rule.