A teacher in Mexico faces fierce backlash after a photo emerged of his students with cardboard boxes over their heads. Some reports said it was a way to prevent cheating, but the school insists it was a “dynamic exercise” instead.

The photo, which began circulating on social media last week, depicted students at the College of Bachelors in Mexico’s southern state of Tlaxcala seated behind their desks with large cardboard boxes over their heads. The boxes had cut-out holes for eyes and faces. All students had pieces of paper on their desks, and some appeared to be writing.

Initial reports said that the boxes were meant to prevent the students from copying each other’s answers during an exam. The image sparked outcry among the parents, who accused the campus head, Luis Juarez Texis, of “humiliating” his class and inflicting “physical, emotional and psychological violence.” The parents called for Texis to be dismissed.

The college, however, responded by saying that it was not an exam but a “playful activity” in which all students had agreed to participate – a “dynamic exercise” to assist the development of “psychomotor skills.”

Also on rt.com US Catholic school bans Harry Potter books after consulting exorcists

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!