PE teacher made 10-year-old Madhurika run 60 rounds around the school, and allegedly ignored her even though she complained of chest pain and breathing difficulties.
A 10-year-old Class 6 student of St Francis School in Secunderabad had to be taken to hospital after her school’s physical education teacher allegedly made her run 60 rounds around the school ground for not doing her homework.
The incident took place on Thursday.
The victim, Madhurika’s, class teacher sent her to the PE teacher because she reportedly did not hand over her assigned homework. And, as punishment, the teacher made her run around the ground, and didn’t let her stop even though she complained of difficulty in breathing.
According to her parents, after coming home, Madhurika complained of chest pain and told her parents about the incident. Subsequently, the girl’s father took her to hospital, where doctors said she was suffering from muscular pain
The girl’s father, P Anil Kumar, alleged that though the girl complained of breathing problems and chest pain, the PE teacher, Ramakanth, paid no heed and insisted that she complete the task.
Agitated with the school’s extreme measures to discipline students, Anil wrote a letter to Education Minister, Kadiyam Srihari, demanding the suspension of the PE teacher immediately. Further, he mobilized Students Federation of India--the student's wing of CPI(M) party on Monday and staged a protest.
“The school has asked us to give five days time to probe the incident and take necessary steps,” he told TNM.
Meanwhile, Balala Hakkula Sangham, an NGO working towards child welfare, has filed a police complaint against the school for hiring a male teacher in an all-girls’ school.
BHS alleged that the school violated the state government’s rules and recruited a male teacher.
“As per rules, the school should not recruit a male teacher. It is an exclusive girls’ school. The administration has violated the rules. The school is wrong on two accounts: first, they hired a male teacher, and they were also punishing students using extreme measures,” said BHS president Achyuta Rao.
In his complaint to the police, Rao demanded that the accused teacher be punished under the Juvenile Justice Act for cruelty and criminal intimidation.