Video of child being slapped during private maths lesson goes viral

Footage shows the infant pleading to be ‘taught lovingly’ while she learns how to count

A video of a child being slapped during a private maths class has gone viral in India.

Footage has emerged showing an infant, who is no more than five-years-old, pleading to be “taught lovingly” while she learns how to count.

The girl is shouted at for making mistakes and appears to break down in the video before being struck across the face.

"Will you teach me lovingly? My head is going to burst out," she is heard saying.

The pain and tension on the child’s face is clear to see and she clutches her cheek while reciting numbers tearfully.

The video has been shared widely and the captain of the India cricket team, Virat Kohli, took to Instagram to describe the video as “shocking”, “saddening” and “hurtful”.

"The fact that the pain and anger of the child are ignored and one's own ego to make the child learn is so massive that compassion has totally gone out of the window.

"This is shocking and saddening to another dimension. A child can never learn if intimidated. This is hurtful," he said.

Mr Kohli’s colleague, Shikhar Dhawan, also spoke out against the video.

“I request parents to be patient with your kids at all times. Every child learns at his own pace. Please refrain from beating/degrading them,” he tweeted.