Chinese School Sparks Controversy After Teachers Smash Over 100 Student Phones with Hammers

A school in China is facing backlash after teachers were filmed smashing more than 100 confiscated mobile phones with hammers in front of students.

While the school explained that it was disposing of phones that had remained unclaimed for years, the incident sparked widespread criticism, leading education authorities to condemn the act as an inappropriate destruction of personal property.

According to Chinese media outlets such as Zhonghuawang on June 28, a video recently circulated on Chinese social media showing teachers at a school in Chenzhou, Hunan Province, taking turns smashing mobile phones with hammers on the school playground.

The footage shows over 100 mobile phones lined up on the ground in front of a podium, with teachers destroying them one by one while students watched.

The school stated that the destroyed phones had been confiscated from students and left unclaimed for several years. They added that the action was intended to serve as a warning to students not to bring mobile phones to school.

The video was reportedly filmed about two months ago.

However, Chinese netizens have voiced strong criticism, with comments such as "destroying personal property is illegal" and "the school is still managing students using outdated methods."

The Chenzhou education authorities also stated, "Even if the phones were not claimed by their owners, they are still personal property and should not be destroyed arbitrarily," adding, "The school's method of handling this was inappropriate, and we will investigate and address the matter."

(Photo: Captured from Chinese social media, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.