8-year-old hospitalised after being hit by teacher

Class III student punched for getting two spellings wrong

NIRMAL MANGAR
GANGTOK, July 31: An eight year old student of Bodang Thangsing Government Primary School in Khamdong was hospitalised after being severely punished by her teacher for getting the spellings of two words wrong on July 29.
Sumitra Khatiwada, an eight year old Class III student was so traumatised when she allegedly punched by her teacher, Uma Nath Dhakal that the girl had to be rushed to the hospital in a state of shock.
According to Sumitra, who has been admitted at the surgical ward of Central Referral Hospital, she was hit on her stomach and legs when she made two spelling mistakes in the General Knowledge subject.
While talking with SIKKIM EXPRESS today, Chabilal Khatiwara, the father of Sumitra said that the teacher hit her during the GK class, when he found that the girl had made two spellings errors.
“He boxed me in my stomach and later hit on my legs with a cane,” Sumitra told SIKKIM EXPRESS.
It is also informed that after the incident, the girl lost her consciousness and started vomiting, after which she was rushed to Singtam hospital from where she was referred to Central Referral Hospital.
The father of the victim also lodged a verbal compliant against the said teacher at Singtam Police Station.
“We are awaiting the medical report to carry further investigation in the matter,” Police Inspector, Singtam Police Station, Vishal Rai told SIKKIM EXPRESS.
On the other hand, the annoyed parents are demanding a departmental action against the said teacher.
Asked about the incident, the Headmaster of the school defended the teacher saying that “it was only an excuse and that the child was keeping unwell for quite sometime.”
Speaking over the matter, secretary of the State Human Resource Development Department, KT Chankapa said that a departmental probe would be carried out into the incident.
Mr. Chankapa, who is presently in Delhi said that the teacher will be punished if found guilty. “Corporal punishment is not at all allowed in the schools and the teachers indulged in it will be not spared,” he added.
Asked to comment on the incident of corporal punishment in schools, former HRDD director and former Principal of PNGSS, Ms Roasabel Namchyo had this to say: “The teacher who perpetuated this violent act is not fit to be teacher that too in a primary school.”
Terming the incident shocking, she said that nowadays teaching is been taken as merely a profession and a source of earning livelihood and there is no real dedication to the noble profession. She further maintained that the teachers should not shower their frustrations by physically assaulting defenceless children who are supposed to be in their protection during school hours.
However, Uma Dhakal was unavailable when SIKKIM EXPRESS repeatedly contacted him at his residence.

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