Corporal punishment: Grade 3 student beaten up for not doing homework

Police are looking for teacher, who appears to have fled the area

FAISALABAD: A student of grade three was badly beaten by his teacher on Wednesday because he had forgotten to do his homework.

The student, who studied at a private school in Satellite Town, Jhang, received injuries on his back, hands and shoulders and was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Anwar Ali, the boy’s uncle, told The Express Tribune that his 9-year-old nephew, Abdur Rehman, studied at a private school near Wajahat Shaheed Ground. His teacher Zabeehullah had assigned homework on Tuesday but Rehman had forgotten to complete it. “Rehman had been given a lot of homework and had forgotten to complete the teacher’s assignment.”

On Wednesday, when Rehman told his teacher that he had not done his homework, Zabeehullah flared up and told him to squat as a punishment. Ali said he then beat the boy with a stick.

“His class mates told me that Zabeehullah hit Rehman on his hands, his back and his shoulders.”

Ali said that Rehman’s friends told him that he had apologised profusely, but the teacher had refused to accept his apology.

He said Rehman told the teacher that he was hurting but the teacher did not stop beating him. “He tried to flee from the classroom but the teacher grabbed him by his hair and dragged him back to the classroom, all the while beating him with a stick.”

Ali said when Rehman fainted, Zabeehullah called for a glass of water and revived him by sprinkling water on his face.

“He then told another student to escort Rehman home.”

Ali said they took him to a hospital for treatment. “We told police but I don’t think they are going to do anything about it.”

Satellite Town SHO said they had received a complaint and were looking into the matter. He said they had sent a team to pick up the teacher. “He seems to have fled the area.”

School Headmaster Akhtar Ali said they had constituted a committee to probe the incident. “If the teacher is, indeed, guilty, we will fire him without delay…corporal punishment is absolutely forbidden and the teacher knows that.”

The boy’s uncle said Rehman’s father had died several years ago and the boy and his mother lived with another uncle in Y-Block, Satellite Town.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 20^th, 2015.