Punished educator certified as 'super teacher' in Kyoto

Sunday, September 16, 2007 at 06:53 EDT

KYOTO — Kyoto City's board of education gave the title of "super teacher" to a 52-year-old city-run high school teacher in 2005 even though he had been repeatedly reprimanded for corporal punishment, board officials admitted Saturday.
Super teachers are required to be role models for other teachers by giving them advice and opening their classes to them.

Although the teacher in question made the school volleyball team a strong contestant, he was punished three times between 1997 and 2001 for throwing a chair at students during team practice and other forms of physically punitive behavior, according to the officials.

The education board, however, awarded him the title in September 2005 along with other 29 teachers as he "demonstrated outstanding achievement in leading the volleyball team."

Since the initial award, the board had renewed it for him every year.

The teacher, however, was again accused further corporal punishment by an anonymous informant in February this year, and had taken medical leave since March. He submitted a letter of resignation to the education board on Friday, according to the officials.

Kyodo