India Teacher Kills 6-Year-Old With a Slap, Family Demands Justice
The family of a six-year-old boy has alleged that he was physically beaten by a teacher at a private school in Visakhapatnam, India, leading to his death, a police investigation and demands for better protection of children in schools.
The child, Pranay Teja, reportedly went to Little Garden School in the One Town area on Thursday morning in good health. Later, his family was called to find out what had happened to him.
The family said that a teacher was seen using a stick to hit the child on the head before he fell down on the school CCTV footage. The video also revealed that the teacher beat him before he landed in her lap, reports said.
The family claimed the teacher had beaten Pranay with his hands for not doing his homework. They also stated that other children had been physically punished in the school before.
Pranay was rushed to King George Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The exact cause of death is still to be determined and will be investigated at post mortem.
Police have registered a case and launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.
The education department of the state of Andhra Pradesh termed the incident as “extremely serious” and stated that a preliminary investigation had already been undertaken. A three-member committee, headed by senior education and revenue officials, has been set up to look into the situation.
Authorities also stated that sensitisation programmes would be conducted to sensitise teachers to interact with children sensitively and responsibly.
The case also serves as a reminder of the risks of physical punishment in schools and the importance of providing a safe learning environment where children are not subject to violence or harm as a result of discipline. Further action will follow the investigation and committee report.
