Manitoba Teacher Loses License After China Misconduct

A teacher certified in Manitoba, Janice Ma, has had her teaching certificate revoked due to inappropriate physical contact and private social media messages exchanged with a Grade 8 student. These incidents occurred while Ma was employed at Clifford International School in Guangzhou, China, last year. The school terminated Ma's employment after she was observed hugging the student, an action captured on security cameras.

Further investigation by a Manitoba disciplinary panel revealed a pattern of misconduct. Ma continued contact with the student despite explicit orders not to do so, demonstrating a repeated disregard for professional boundaries. The panel found evidence of both inappropriate physical contact and private online communications, including messages on Instagram with terms of endearment and discussions of kissing.

Ma's testimony presented changing accounts of the events, which the panel found undermined her credibility. The panel concluded that Ma's conduct fell on the more serious end of the spectrum, exhibiting poor professional judgment and an inappropriate level of personal involvement. Consequently, her certification was cancelled to protect the public and maintain confidence in the teaching profession.