Daijiworld Media Network – Beltangady (SP)

Beltangady, Sep 3: After getting complaint that a teacher of higher primary school at Nittade village in the school had hit a student with stick, a Childline team visited the school on Tuesday September 2 to gather details.

A teacher from the school who teaches Hindi reportedly hit the hand of a student sleeping on his desk with a stick on August 20. It is said that the student was suffering from headache then and hence was resting. The student, who was injured in his hand, after coming to know during the Children's Parliament programme held in the town on August 22 that children can seek help from Childline, he had called this number. The Childline had transferred the complaint to Child Welfare Committee.

It is said that immediately after coming to know that a complaint was filed against the teacaher concerned, the teachers and school development and monitoring committee (SDMC) president reportedly brought pressure on the family of the boy to withdraw the complaint. Childline team and education department officials visited the school in this backdrop.

The visiting team however, could not meet either the accused teacher or the headmistress. The headmistress had left a note that she was visiting the office of the block education office. When called, this office informed that she had already left. She could not be contacted on phone too. The team also did not get the desired level of support from SDMC office bearers. The visiting team felt lack of coordination between teachers and SDMC office bearers.

The team then visited the home of the boy, where the student's mother stated that a SDMC member had been calling her and threatening her to withdraw this case. The team wants to pursue the case further after gathering all the details.