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China teacher chides pupils using ‘tang people’ as slang related to Down’s syndrome as insult

Outraged’ educator lays down law to schoolchildren after she hears them using term related to Down’s syndrome to mock ‘silly’ classmates

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A teacher in China has berated her pupils for using  the term “tang people” in a derogatory manner related to Down’s syndrome as an insult. Photo: Shutterstock
Alice Yanin Shanghai

A secondary teacher in China has gone viral for berating her pupils for using a term related to Down’s syndrome to mock others.

The term tang ren began to gain popularity among the country’s primary and middle school pupils about two years ago.

It is intended to refer to silly people or those displaying weird behaviour, the China Youth Daily reported.

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It came into being because tang is the first Chinese character of tang shi zong he zheng, the Chinese translation for Down’s syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects a person’s body and brain development.

The teacher was angry when she heard the term being used and felt she had to issue a warning. Photo: Shutterstock
The teacher was angry when she heard the term being used and felt she had to issue a warning. Photo: Shutterstock

The idiom tang ren has long been connected to Chinese people.

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