CARROLLTON (Texas) — Three teachers in a Texas school have been suspended for a racist question on Chinese people in a sixth-grade social studies test.

The test, which featured a question with multiple choice answers, asked about Chinese cultural norms with three answers for the 11-to 12-year-old students to choose from. 

The options were: 

• "A. It is normal in China to cut off someone's lips if they burp in a restaurant."

• "B. It is normal in parts of China to give children 50 lashes by a cane if they steal a piece of candy."

• "C. It is normal in parts of China to eat cats and dogs."

According to Dallas News, Ms Joy Lim, a sister of one of the students, posted a screenshot on social media of the questions in the online quiz, calling the responses "ridiculous". 

"Harmful rhetoric in our education system is exactly why anti-Asian hate crimes and racism persist today,” she wrote.

The school, Carrollton-Farmers-Branch School, issued a formal statement condemning the derogatory language of the quiz. 

"The words used on the test question were derogatory and hurtful," the statement read, adding the teachers "have been placed on administrative leave until the investigation is complete".

According to Fox News, parents were upset by the incident, with one calling for the teachers to be fired.

In the statement, the school added that the district will enhance training opportunities to create a more inclusive and respectful environment. AGENCIES