A 15-year-old boy was hospitalised with a head injury after a teacher allegedly banged his head to the desk on February 11 for not being attentive in the classroom.
The incident, which occurred at a private school at Palamaner came to light on Tuesday, followed by an inspection of the school by district education department officials, leading to the teacher’s suspension.
According to information, the student came to the class after taking COVID jab on February 11. Feeling feverish, the boy reportedly retired to the last row and was leaning on the desk.
The teacher, Jyothi Jose (45), mistook him for taking a nap in the classroom. Though the boy complained of uneasiness, the teacher reportedly chided him for lying, and allegedly banged the boy’s head to the desk and the rear plank of the bench.
Reaching home in a dazed condition, the boy was unable to speak clearly or walk properly. On the advice of the doctors at Palamaner, the parents took him to the emergency ward at SVIMS Hospital in Tirupati.
Regaining his senses on Tuesday, the boy had informed about his teacher’s “physical assault” on him, and how his head was banged to the desk.
After the weekend holidays, the boy’s classmates grew curious on Monday as the boy did not turn up for school. On Tuesday, information about the incident in the school spread among the students and teachers.
Deputy Educational Officer (Chittoor) Shriram Purushottam and Mandal Educational Officer (Palamaner) Leela Rani rushed to the school, which is run by a Christian missionary, on Tuesday.
Ms. Leela Rani confirmed that as per the preliminary inquiry, the boy was physically assaulted in the classroom. “The boy is still (by Tuesday evening) in SVIMS Hospital at Tirupati. We spoke to him and his parents. Their statement was recorded. The boy is also in a good condition now. The school management said that the teacher in question has been suspended. If the parents want to lodge any police complaint, they can do so,” she said.
Sub-Inspector (Palamaner) Nagaraju said the incident had come to their notice also. He said a case would be booked if the parents filed a complaint.
