BERHAMPUR: A government school teacher posted in Kabisuryanagar block of Ganjam district, on Monday, was placed under suspension for allegedly caning a standard one student of the school on Saturday. The child sustained injuries and had to undergo treatment at Aska hospital. The mother of the child had lodged an FIR at the local police station in this connection.
The five-year-old student, a native of A Barida village under Kabisuryanagar block is a student of Sridadhibaman Nodal High School in the village. Sources said, last Saturday, the child returned home from school in a shock and upon his mother, Urmila’s insistence explained about being caned by teacher Chachin Pradhan in the school for making some mistakes in the pictorial table. The teacher also wrote his own mobile phone number in the child’s diary and asked him to tell his mother to call him.
The child could not sleep all night due to the trauma, alleged Urmila adding, that such behaviour is unpardonable. As the child had sustained multiple injuries, he was taken to Aska hospital for treatment. Infuriated with such action by a teacher, the villagers demanded stringent action against him on Sunday. The block education officer Aratibala Patnaik, however, assured the villagers that since the school was closed on Sunday, action will be initiated against the teacher after the inquiry on Monday.
However, on Monday, the BEO interacted with the child, his mother and other students. “I came to know that the child was beaten badly with a cane and sustained multiple injuries,” informed the BEO.
“Such behaviour on the part of the teacher was unfortunate. He has been placed under suspension following a departmental inquiry,” said Ganjam District Education Officer Binita Senapati. The teacher was not available for comment.