Parent fury over lewd belly dancing on school outing

[Brian Ellis]

I could not help but laugh at this Cyprus Mail report. Dammit, those "pupils" were 18!

Parent fury over lewd belly dancing on school outing

LEWD, midday belly dancing has offended parents of final year pupils of Larnaca’s Technical School.

The pupils were on a school day trip at MacKenzie beach on Thursday with their teachers when a belly dancer showed up and began to put on a show for those present.

Mobile phone cameras took stills and videos of what took place, ensuring that the events would spread and would not be quickly forgotten.

The visual evidence shows teachers dancing with the foreign belly dancer, as pupils surrounded the scene applauding and chanting.

The woman went as far as wrapping her legs around a male teacher and unbuttoning his shirt, footage which has since scandalised the parents.

Pupils claim that it was teachers who had arranged for the belly dancer to come to the restaurant.

They argue that teachers told them to stop filming with their mobile phones and to keep quiet about what had transcribed, “or else the school will be punished”.

The fact that younger pupils from the Technical School were sat at the time at a nearby restaurant also provoked the outrage of the Parents’ Association.

The matter is expected to reach all the way to the Education Ministry.

[Technoid]

Score another for the "Think about the children" crowd

[Dr Mordrid]

Those 18 y/o daughters are probably doing belly dances for their boy friends....that or lap dances

[Gurm]

I fail to see the problem here. The "kids" are 18, and all sexually active...

[ND66]

I fail to see the problem here. The "kids" are 18, and all sexually active...

Yes, I see that you do fail to see.... .



.

[Mehen]

Unfortunately(?) there are some pretty sheltered kids out there, and there are many things their parents don't want the kids exposed to. That being said... &#^! that B.S.

[Brian Ellis]

Now I see that we are all jealous that OUR school outings were not like this!

[Brian Ellis]

Suite... Talk about a storm in a teacup!

Role models of morality? Teachers under fire over belly dance
By Stefanos Evripidou

THE EDUCATION Ministry is looking behind the veil into who hired the belly dancer that turned up the heat at a school beach trip last Thursday.

Final year pupils of Larnaca’s Technical School were enjoying an organised school trip to MacKenzie beach when a belly dancer showed up, and launched into a sensual dance.

The presence of mobile phones ensured that the resulting scenes of teachers entwined with the entertainer were recorded and passed around the island.

One scene that raised more than a few eyebrows involved the hired dancer wrapping her legs around a male teacher and unbuttoning his shirt. It is not yet clear who arranged for the belly dancer to be there. According to reports, pupils maintain that it was the teachers’ initiative. Parents of the pupils were reportedly horrified by the impromptu dance scenes.

Director of Technical Education, Charalambos Constantinou, told the Cyprus Mail yesterday that the ministry was still looking into the matter.

“What happened was not appropriate and reprehensible. We will inform the Education Minister of our preliminary investigation and wait to hear if any further steps should be taken,” said Constantinou.

Asked whether the ministry had established who was responsible for hiring the dancer, he said: “We are still looking into the matter. We have to hear what those involved have to say. It was probably a foolish initiative of the pupils. But regardless, the teachers should have asked her to leave.”

Constantinou hinted that disciplinary measures would likely be taken against those found responsible, whether pupils or staff.

“I’ve seen photos of the whole trip, and otherwise it was a very organised and decent trip, with just one bad incident,” he added.

Chairman of the House Education Committee, Nicos Tornaritis called on the minister to get to the bottom of the story and implement disciplinary measures where they were due.

“That behaviour is not worthy of a public school,” said the DISY deputy.

Head of the secondary school parents’ confederation, Nicos Vitsaides, also described the incident as “reprehensible”, though he was more concerned with teachers’ reactions than the gyrating moves of the exotic dancer.

“It doesn’t bother us about the belly dancer. It’s the actions of those involved that bother us, like when she jumped on the teacher and unbuttoned his shirt,” said Vitsaides.

“The Education Minister should apportion blame where it is due. Teachers need to be role models of morality,” he said.

The secondary school teachers’ union, OELMEK, sent a letter to the minister calling for an investigation into the matter.

Meanwhile, the technical schools’ director, Constantinou, highlighted that more focus should be given to the positive aspects of technical schools, not just the negative.

“For example, I just received a letter from a graduate studying a PhD in the US. He wanted to let us know how proud he was to be a graduate of the Technical School,” said Constantinou.

[Nowhere]

...were recorded and passed around the island...

Brian, nevermind how the public in Cyprus might be outraged, but I'm outraged by the fact that, I believe, you're not linking us to whole story

[Brian Ellis]

Sorry, I haven't seen it myself. I did check on youtube, but couldn't find anything

[High_Jumbllama]

Inappropriate for a school event I suppose though no big deal for these adult students. I remember seeing it when I was ten as part of some educational film.