A former preschool teacher in Panjin, Liaoning province, was sentenced to two years in prison on Thursday and permanently banned from working with minors after being convicted of abusing children.

Zhang Xu, who taught at Pengcheng Kindergarten in Panshan county, was found guilty of repeatedly intimidating, pushing, hitting, dragging, and striking eight children between March 3 and 21, according to the Dawa District People's Court.

The abuse came to light after one child's mother, surnamed Li, reviewed the kindergarten's surveillance footage on March 21, which showed her child's head hitting a wall after being slapped and shoved. The child was later diagnosed with a scalp contusion.

The court said Zhang, who had a duty to care for the children, had violated professional ethics and caused serious harm. While she admitted the crimes and received partial forgiveness from some parents, the court ruled the abuse was prolonged, involved multiple vulnerable children, and carried significant social risk.

Separately, local authorities investigated the kindergarten and found multiple violations, including unqualified teachers, expired licenses, and unsafe facilities. The kindergarten has been permanently closed, and 24 staff members have faced disciplinary action.