2007 06: Too traumatised to go to school

The Star online. News. Nation. Monday June 18, 2007

JOHOR BARU: An eight-year-old girl who was allegedly hit by a teacher is so traumatised that she refuses to go to school.

SJK (T) Yahya Awal Year Two pupil S. Kavitaanjali has minor bruises on her back after she was allegedly beaten with a broom stick and a piece of metal.

Kavitaanjali's mother, V. Thanaletchumi, 29, claimed that her daughter is also suffering from hearing problems.

“If we force her to eat, she just throws up after the meal,” she said.

Thanaletchumi claimed that her daughter’s problem started in April when the teacher took over from another to teach Tamil.

She said the teacher started abusing some of the children.

She claimed that she approached the teacher recently who at first denied hitting her daughter but later admitted to it.

Her husband, clerk N. Sagaran, 40, said that they had brought the matter up to the school authorities and also lodged a report with the police and the Education Ministry.

“When our daughter first told us that she was hit in school, we ignored her because we thought she had misbehaved or not paid attention during lessons,” he said, adding that they got worried when she started developing a fever and refused to go to school.

When contacted, school principal M. Perumal said a verbal warning had been issued to the teacher concerned.

He said the teacher had 17 years teaching experience and was transferred to the school last year.

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Teacher gets show-cause letter over abuse of pupils
The Star online. News. Nation. Wednesday June 20, 2007

By MEERA VIJAYAN

JOHOR BARU: The Education Department here has issued a show-cause letter to a teacher who had allegedly abused her pupils.

The Tamil primary school teacher has also been ordered to go for counselling.

The parents of a young girl recently told the The Star that their daughter had been pinched, slapped and beaten with a broom and a metal rod since April until she became too traumatised to go to school.

SJK(T) Yahya Awal headmaster M. Perumal said he knew of five to six pupils who had been beaten by the teacher.

Johor Education director Mokhy Saidon said his department had spoken to the headmaster.

“It is possible that the teacher is under stress because of family problems,” said Mokhy.

He said the teacher would be given counselling, adding that an officer from the department would be sent to speak to her.

Asked if the teacher, who has been in the profession for 17 years, would be suspended, Mokhy said: “Suspension and facing a disciplinary board will be the last resort if she continues to repeat her behaviour.”

He advised teachers under stress to get religious help or to speak to their peers or even to him to release tension “without taking it out on the pupils.”

Meanwhile, Kavitaanjali’s mother said the teacher, although on leave yesterday, had come to school and shouted at her daughter because the case had been highlighted in the media.