A kindergarten principal in China has been sacked after arranging a pole dancer to perform for pupils at a start-of-term event.

Among the concerned parents of Xinshahui Kindergarten students is journalist Michael Standaert, who shared footage of the bizarre routine to Twitter on Monday.

The clips show young children watching on as the female dancer swings around and gyrates beside a pole, which is topped with the Chinese flag.

“Who would think this is a good idea?” the father wrote. “We’re trying to pull the kids out of the school and get our tuition back.”

He continued, “The principal hung up on my wife when she called after saying it was ‘international and good exercise’ … okay, yeah for adults maybe, but not 3-6 year old kids.” [sic]

Standaert also shared a photograph of a poster advertising a pole dancing school, which he claims was one of “a bunch” erected at the event.

And they also had a bunch of adverts out for a pole dancing school. The gals in the videos, except for the first one, were not the principal. pic.twitter.com/xj56WegTxG

— Michael Standaert (@mstandaert) September 3, 2018

The principal hung up on my wife when she called after saying it was “international and good exercise” … okay, yeah for adults maybe, but not 3-6 year old kids. pic.twitter.com/OAw8S5ihzX

— Michael Standaert (@mstandaert) September 3, 2018

In a statement shared to Chinese social media, the local education authority confirmed that Lai Rong, the principal of the government-run kindergarten, had been sacked.

“The District Education Bureau believes that it is not appropriate to perform pole dancing for children in kindergartens,” the statement read.

Before the bureau became involved, Ms Lai issued an apology to parents.

“I was thinking of asking the forgiveness from the parents and also promising them that we would not teach the kids this kind of dance,” she told The Washington Post .

“I just want the kids to know the existence of this kind of dance. That’s all.”