'Harlem Shake' causes problems at school

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TUNIS, Tunisia, Feb. 25 (UPI) -- The Tunisian education minister is investigating a "Harlem Shake" video filmed at a high school, calling it an insult to the educational system.

The video was performed and filmed inside Imam Moslem high school in Tunis Saturday, Tunisia Live reported.

"This event was allowed by the director of the school, who gave permission to hold such an event without asking permission from the regional director or ministry," Tunisian Minister of Education Abdeltif Abid said Sunday in an interview with Mosaique FM. "An investigation will be launched and measures will be taken against any kind of violations."

"What happened is an insult to the educational message and whoever contributed will be held responsible," Abid said.

However, Hafedh Mesrati, a teacher at Imam Moslem, explained the school director did not actually give the students permission, saying the students asked to do the video, but the director left school grounds before giving an answer and the students did it anyway.

"When she left the high school on Saturday, there were no pupils inside," Mesrati said. "On her way to the funeral, the director got a call from the school guard who told her a group of pupils came."

Mesrati added: "This is an internal affair that needs to be addressed within the educational board of the school, not an issue to be politicized."

The minister's comments prompted some Facebook users to organize a call for a mass Harlem Shake in front of the Ministry of Education on Friday. Organizers of the event say several Tunisian high schools have witnessed events disruptive to the educational process in recent months, including Salafist meetings held outside a high school at El Mourouj 4 and the replacement of the Tunisian flag with a black flag reading "al-Shahada" at another school. Abid did not decide to investigate those incidents, they said.

"This is an internal affair that needs to be addressed within the educational board of the school, not an issue to be politicized."