THE Taiwanese authorities are probing child abuse claims against a school that allegedly made pupils as young as six years old swallow fire to boost their courage, a report said yesterday.

The case came to light after parents complained that they paid NT$9,000 (S$387) for a five-day course only to find out that their children were asked to swallow fire, said TVBS news channel.

Footage showed a woman 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, TVBS reported.

'It's like they were abusing the children. Each of the 70 or 80 children was really suffering,' an unnamed mother told the station.

The course is taught by a hypnotist 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 against the school, which also faces a fine for operating without a permit, according to the reports.