TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Hyderabad: In a serious case of alleged corporal punishment, an 11-year-old boy was forced to do 200 sit-ups by a teacher for coming late to school. The boy, a class VII student of Bhashyam School, Attapur, had turned up 20 minutes late as he had to attend a family function early in the morning. While the student had carried with him a letter explaining the delay, M Sudhakar, a teacher in charge of disciplining students, allegedly caned him and later made him do 200 sit-ups.
The boy, a resident of Mehdipatnam, is now undergoing treatment at Lotus Children’s Hospital as he is unable to walk due to cramps in the thigh muscles. The boy’s parents, supported by child rights NGO Balala Hakkula Sangham and local residents of Attapur, staged a protest in front of the school at 10am demanding that the management sack the accused teacher.
Later in the day the NGO moved the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) against the school. The SHRC has now ordered the Rajendra Nagar ACP and Ranga Reddy DEO to inquire into the matter and submit a report within a week.
Parents of students alleged that corporal punishment was a daily affair in the school and claimed that several other cases were reported in the past. Cancellation of school recognition sought
“Even my child was caned last week but I did not file a complaint as I was afraid that the school management will take it out on him if I make such a move,” said a parent. About 20 parents participated in the protest in front of the school. The protesting parents also demanded that the district school education officials cancel the school’s recognition. The boy’s father Malla Reddysaid that he will also file a police complaint against the school on Thursday.
Representatives of Balala Hakkula Sangham said that in most private schools in the city corporal punishment is a regular affair. “This academic year (June to October) 250 cases of corporal punishment were reported in the city,” said Achyuta Rao, president of the body. While corporal punishment is a crime which can put the guilty behind bars for three years, most schools do not even conduct a thorough investigation when a case is reported, he said.
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