A shocking video showing a child being beaten by a 'religious teacher’ for not being able to learn Arabic is being shared on social media.

The upsetting mobile phone footage shows a child unable to learn the alphabet correctly according to the teacher's standards.

The film is believed to have been shot in India or Bangladesh and the individual filming the scene shows no sympathy as the child is shouted at and then beaten by the teacher.

It is unclear when or where the video was filmed but users have recently shared it on WhatsApp with some shockingly ‘joking’ that this was how they were taught when they were kids.

The child is already clearly upset before he is beaten with a stick by the teacher.