Pupil claims teacher hit him with ruler

Dubai: Nine-year-old Hassam Amir, a pupil at Emirates English Speaking School, has a scar on his forehead after his grade 3 teacher allegedly whacked him with a metal ruler.

"I was joking with my classmates when she hit me near my eye. When I saw blood coming out I got scared and I cried," he said.

The pupil alleges that his teacher rushed him to the bathroom to wash the wound and later he was taken to the nurse who treated him and put a plaster on the wound.

His mother Naila Aftab said she was appalled at the teacher's behaviour. "I was not informed by the school management or the teacher about the incident," she said.

The pupil said that sometimes the teacher would hit misbehaving students on their hands using a plastic or a metal ruler.

His mother said she complained to the principal yesterday and provided a police report on the incident.

"I was not allowed to see the teacher - the principal requested that I write a letter of complaint and that he will investigate the issue," Naila said.

Gulf News was not allowed to speak to the teacher. S.S.U. Tabrez, the school principal said "We are looking into it." Ministerial Decision No. 454 for 1998 concerning bylaws on students' discipline in a school community from the Ministry of Education states that all behaviour correction methods must remain free from cruelty and psychological pain. They should not include verbal abuse, insults, sarcasm, profanity and personal humiliation.

Article No. 9 states: It is prohibited to resort to any of the following, under any circumstance: "All forms of physical punishment, threats of decreasing grades, expelling a student during a school day."

Have your say
Do you think corporal punishment is completely unacceptable? Or are there occasions where it is necessary? Tell us at letter2editor@gulfnews.com

Yes, I do agree that the teacher should not be allowed to teach anywhere. Teachers are the second parents for children.
Nadia
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: February 08, 2008, 18:16

I have seen witnessed small children misbehaving, disturbing, abusing and spitting at others in the street. How can a teacher control these pupils in the classroom? Let parents guide their children first. I think complaining to the police is stupid when it can cause more damage to the teacher and pupil's mind.
Ronald
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 08, 2008, 17:01

Hitting is a short term solution to a long term problem.
Hussain
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 08, 2008, 17:01

I was a student in this school once. If you ask me, it's not the teachers, it's the students who misbehave. That makes teaching difficult and many students there are vulgar and are rowdy teenagers. And yes, the teachers should be taught a chapter on how to properly discipline students instead of hitting them physically. The least she could have done is throw the boy out of the class.
Ashwin
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 08, 2008, 15:06

Some teachers practice their profession without any teacher education and training, and believe physically abusing children and developing fear in them is the meaning of their profession. They should be kicked out of the school and should never be allowed to work in schools.
M.M.P.
London,UK
Posted: February 08, 2008, 13:36

Teachers like that should not be allowed to teach. If the pupil is disrespectfully the school can make them stay one hour after school and give them extra education in ethics.
Maryam
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: February 08, 2008, 11:50

Giving physical punishment to pupils is absolutely wrong. I have faced the same situation in Karachi as one of the teachers allegedly whacked my son with a metal ruler. That same day my son refused to go back to school.
Aziz
Karachi,Pakistan
Posted: February 08, 2008, 11:29

My daughter's teacher hit her on the face and after that incident she has refused to go back to school.
Wiqar
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: February 08, 2008, 11:27

I think this was truly a mistake. I don't think any human being, especially a teacher, would resort to serious corporal punishment.
Razia
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 08, 2008, 11:22

Mistakes happen from both sides. This does not mean only the teacher has to be punished. Why should someone disturb the class when a teacher is teaching? The parents, teachers and the students should understand their responsibility.
Raj
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 08, 2008, 10:36

I witnessed a ten year old boy abusing staff at a food joint the other day because they made a small mistake. He has now been told by someone this is wrong. The parents, however, must have let this little "brat" grow up to think he has all the rights adults have and can act accordingly. Parents and teachers should be realistic. Perhaps the teacher in this case did make a mistake but the parents should consider why their son was the main player in this saga.
Peter
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 08, 2008, 09:35

Such teachers are "lacking" in manners. They should be removed from the school.
Karkain
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 08, 2008, 07:13