The Hindu : Corporal punishment for class topper too

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 08, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

Corporal punishment for class topper too

By Radha Venkatesan

Chennai Feb. 7. A week after her teacher bashed her with a bulky record notebook, 17-year-old Caroline T. Daffadil, still struggles hard to move the swollen neck and lift her face. She is unable to stand without support. Tears roll down her chubby cheeks as the Plus-Two student of a government school at Ponneri, near here, tries to pick up a book to prepare for next month's public examination.

"No, I am not able to hold the book," she sobs, her neck tilted right. The class topper is unsure of taking her examination.

Caroline is yet another victim of the continuing practice of corporal punishment and callousness in Tamil Nadu schools even as the State Government has set up an experts panel to put an end to student-bashing.

For the student of the Jaigopal Garodia Government Higher Secondary School at Ponneri in Tiruvallur district, the trauma began on January 29, just as she queued up in the laboratory to submit her Botany record notebook.

When she suddenly noticed a blot on the notebook cover, Caroline rushed to change the wrapper. But the Botany teacher, Balammal, in a mistaken assumption that she had not completed the record work, grabbed the notebook and dealt a couple of blows. As Caroline ducked, the notebook hit her in the nape quite hard.

Within minutes, she fainted. But, the teacher felt she was feigning and left her behind in the laboratory. "As she did not regain consciousness for awhile, we splashed water and tried to feed her coffee. But, she did not open her eyes at all," says a classmate. After nearly two hours, Caroline was dumped at her home, at the instance of the teacher.

When Caroline's mother, a teacher in a local primary school returned in the evening, she found her daughter in a state of unconsciousness and rushed her to the Stanley Government hospital here. Fortunately, Caroline recovered and a CT scan did not show any head injury.

However, her stiff neck continued to hurt and she was taken to a private hospital for further treatment of the "cervical problem." Caroline, who was discharged a couple of days ago, is yet to recover "psychologically". "I am the class topper in Botany. Yet, the teacher hit me. That is what hurts me," Caroline sighs.

The principal, Ravindran admits that the teacher hit her. But he claims Caroline "is completely normal now". As for action against the teacher, he says, " I will take necessary action".

But, the Ponneri police are yet to take action on the complaint filed by Caroline's parents, who hope that "at least now, teachers will stop beating students".

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