'Treated like livestock': Kindergarten staff in China under investigation for washing children's plates in urinal

A video of a kindergarten staff washing children's dishes in a urinal trough circulating on Chinese social media has sparked an outcry among netizens. 

The viral video, uploaded on June 7 by a parent, shows the staff from Sunshine Kindergarten in Jiangxi, China, squatting down at the urinal trough while using a hose to wash plates given to the children at the centre. 

It is not known if the staff in the video is a teacher at the kindergarten. 

The clip received well over 50,000 comments from netizens who decried the staff's actions. 

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgpMTgURk0M[/embed]

"The children are so loved by their parents at home but treated like livestock at the kindergarten," wrote one netizen.

Another remarked: "Is this the behaviour of a human being? Is she a teacher? Such a kindergarten should be punished severely and closed forever."

In response to the backlash, local authorities announced that a joint investigation was carried out. 

The investigation team released a statement saying that the kindergarten was shut down temporarily for an "overhaul", while the staff in the video and the kindergarten's managers are under investigation. 

The mother who uploaded the video has since transferred her child to another kindergarten, reported the South China Morning Post. 

Local authorities also assured the public that strict legal action would be taken in accordance with regulations.

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simran.kaur@asiaone.com