However, fellow NET teachers expressed anger at the reaction of school principal William Yip Kam-yuen, who described the alleged attack as 'not serious'.

Pamela Young said: 'Many of us are utterly appalled and disgusted by this incident.'

She said tougher action should have been taken to reprimand the student and that the teacher should have been offered more support from the principal.

Another teacher said: 'She [Ms Gee] was lucky not to have suffered permanent injury or disability.'

Colleagues say Ms Gee, who has been teaching in Hong Kong since September, was organising the choir when a Form Four student with a history of behavioural problems assaulted her.

They said Ms Gee, who is in her late 30s, was grabbed by the wrists and thrown against a wall. She lost consciousness and was taken to Queen Mary Hospital, where she received treatment for spinal injuries. She was admitted to the hospital for four days.

She remained on sick leave until yesterday, when she returned to work. It is understood she is still having difficulty walking.

However, when asked about Ms Gee's injuries, Mr Yip responded: 'So what? I was once in hospital for eight days. This is not a serious incident.'

He said that the student involved had been suspended for two weeks until the end of the Lunar New Year holidays. He said the boy's parents had been informed and that he had apologised for the incident in front of a school assembly. 'The boy was a little bit unmotivated to sing and misbehaved a little bit. He didn't intend to hurt Ms Gee,' he said.

But Mary Roberts, former chairwoman of the Native English-Speaking Teachers' Association (Nesta), said: 'Any incident involving violence is serious. If this incident had happened on the streets, the police would treat it very, very seriously.'

Teachers said the case highlighted the need for schools to ensure the safety of both students and teachers.

A spokesman for the Education and Manpower Bureau said it was an isolated incident but recommended that the pupil involved receive counselling.

Lydia Ng Shuk-ying, principal of the Chak Yan Centre in Shamshuipo - a school for boys with emotional and behavioural problems - added schools should treat such incidents seriously. 'How teachers feel is important. We must send a message that they are protected. Teachers need security,' she said.

Ms Gee declined to comment about the incident when contacted by the South China Morning Post yesterday.

The NET scheme for secondary schools started in 1998 and was adopted in primary schools for the first time this academic year. It aims to enhance English teaching and learning in schools by employing native English speakers.

Hong Kong has 472 and 167 secondary and primary NET teachers, mostly from Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and the United States.

Graphic: 30GIBBGET