TAIPEI (AFP) - – Taiwanese authorities are probing child abuse claims against a school that allegedly made pupils as young as six swallow fire to boost their courage, a report said Thursday.
The case came to light after parents complained that they paid 9,000 Taiwan dollars (280 US) for a five-day course only to find out that their children were asked to swallow fire, said the TVBS news channel.
Footage showed a female teacher shoving a burning home-made torch into the mouth of a reluctant child.
The cram school, in south Taiwan's Tainan city, also made the children walk barefoot over shattered glass and split wood with their bare hands, the TVBS reported.
"It's like they were abusing the children. Each of the 70 or 80 children were really suffering," an unnamed mother told the station.
The course is taught by a self-proclaimed hypnosis master who boasts that his programmes can help develop the children's potential and make them braver, reports said.
The authorities are investigating the child abuse claims, while the school also faces a fine for operating without a permit, according to the reports.