CHENNAI: A female teacher at a private CBSE school in Kilpauk has been suspended in connection with corporal punishment given to a Class 3 student.
According to the parents of the student, the teacher allegedly slapped him multiple times and unbuttoned his shirt, threatening to make him stand bare-bodied in front of the class as punishment for not reciting a poem.
Further, the parents claimed that the teacher, taking Hindi classes at the school, had also warned the child that he would not be allowed to attend the school. When the child, frightened, remained silent, she continued to reprimand him, they claimed.
When the parents confronted the teacher, she allegedly told them that she wanted to make an example for the entire class. Following a complaint, the school management held a discussion with the parents and subsequently suspended the teacher.
Speaking to TNIE, school authorities said that further action, such as termination, could only be taken after a thorough inquiry and following due procedure. Describing the incident as regrettable, a representative of the school’s management said that it was an isolated case, as no prior complaint had been made against the teacher in the 15 years that she had been working with them.
Meanwhile, the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) has sought a report from the police regarding the incident. Officials said they had received a message shared by the parents concerned in the school WhatsApp group and had forwarded it to the police.
They said further action, including taking suo motu cognisance of the incident, would be decided based on the report. They said the committee would consider if sections of the Pocso Act would be binding in the incident and whether any other legal provisions could be invoked in the case. The police said that they would visit the school on Monday to conduct an inquiry in connection with the incident.
Child rights activist A Devaneyan said while it may not be possible to invoke sections of the Pocso Act if there is no sexual intent, sections of The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, may apply, as the child’s dignity has been violated.
No prior plaint against teacher: Management
Describing the incident as regrettable, a representative of the school’s management told TNIE that it was an isolated case, as no prior complaint had been made against the teacher in the 15 years that she had been working with them. Further action could only be taken after probe, they said