Teacher beats student bloody for refusing summer lessons

Abbas beat a 9th grader for not taking after-school tuition from him.

MULTAN: A schoolteacher allegedly tortured a ninth grader after he refused to seek after school tuition from him. According to several students at the Government Islamia High School, school teacher Ghazanfar Abbas tortured a ninth grader Samiullah after he refused to take after school tuition from him.

“Sami’s family said he didn’t need tuition as he was already doing really well and they couldn’t afford the added expense,” said a student Muhammad Kashif.

According to eyewitnesses, Abbas called Samiullah aside during class on Saturday and beat him bloody with a stick. “He kept yelling at him for refusing to pay him the extra tuition fee and hitting him,” said a student Kaleem. “We called the guard and they finally stopped him. He told the guard that he was hitting Sami because he had abused him in front of the class but that was not true,” Kaleem added.

Samiullah’s parents have tried to file a case with police but so far police officials have refused to register a case against Ghazanfar Abbas. “He called us to demand why my son hadn’t taken tuition from him during the summer and we said that he didn’t need it and we couldn’t afford it. We told him to test him on the material and he passed,” Samiullah’s father Athar said.

Samiullah has been admitted to the district headquarters (DHQ) hospital after he fainted. Hospital officials said that he had suffered a fracture in his leg and arm and also had a head injury. “He was severely beaten and we have issued a certificate so the police can charge the school master,” said Dr Ameen Siddiqui.

Several school students and parents have protested against the incident. “I have spoken to the principal and action needs to be taken against Abbas. Tuition is not mandatory and he has been badgering students just so he can earn money on the side,” Athar told reporters. Police officials have yet to file a case against Ghazanfar Abbas and Samiullah’s family said that they would protest outside the police station if a case was not registered soon.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 22^nd,  2011.