On August 26th, the Autumn Education Administration Meeting of 2026 was held in Leibo County, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. During the meeting, teachers whose class average scores were below par were asked to come forward and take a photo with the word “shame” displayed prominently, sparking a huge controversy.
Recently, a photo from the Autumn Education Administration Meeting in Leibo County, Sichuan Province, in 2026 circulated on the internet. The image showed over 20 teachers in white shirts and black trousers standing on stage, with a large screen behind them displaying “Photo of teachers with average scores below 15 in the 2025-2026 academic year junior high school final exams.” In the middle, the word “shame” was highlighted, and the meeting was held on August 26th.
According to a report by The Paper on August 28th, in addition to the aforementioned photo, another picture revealed that teachers stood on stage with a screen behind them saying, “Photo of teachers with average scores below 30 in the 2025-2026 academic year elementary school final exams.” In the center of both images were the words “shame.”
The release of these photos quickly ignited a controversy.
A prominent figure in the arts and humanities, “Zengziyan,” wrote in a post, “At an education meeting, with the word ‘shame’ displayed on a large screen, frontline teachers were made to take photos publicly. Poor performance can be held accountable, reviewed, and methods can be devised to improve teaching. However, holding someone accountable should not equate to humiliation; urging improvement should not mean trampling on one’s dignity.
“The scores of a class are never solely determined by a teacher. Managing through public shaming damages the professional pride of teachers, ultimately harming the students.”
On the morning of the 28th, The Paper contacted the Leibo County Education Bureau, and a staff member stated that they could not disclose any information. Subsequently, the reporter called the Liangshan Prefecture Education Bureau, where another staff member confirmed the authenticity of the photos, saying, “It was an internal meeting they held. The specifics of what happened are still under investigation and verification.”
A popular figure on Weibo, “Xiaolei,” commented, “Shame? Who should be ashamed? How many of these teachers have toiled day and night, with a classroom of seven or eight students, whose parents are not around, and not even a proper teaching assistant in sight? You make a blanket judgment based on scores, then parade them, take photos, and publicly shame them, crushing whatever dignity they had left underfoot.”
The Executive Director and General Manager of Qiqihar Conan New Media Technology Co., Ltd., “Cutting-Edge X Technology Hero,” shared in a post, “To put it plainly, it’s a public relations disaster, the leadership is starting to panic, and they are passing the blame onto each other. Is it acceptable to insult teachers in an internal meeting like this? Such behavior that even they can’t bear to watch, how did it manage to pass the approval process? That’s the most terrifying aspect.”
Under public pressure, on the evening of August 28th, the Leibo County government issued an “Apology Statement,” acknowledging that the Autumn Education Administration Meeting in 2026 had involved “disrespectful practices towards teachers,” stating that this action “caused severe psychological harm to attending teachers and resulted in negative social impact.”