2007 07: Parents and teachers: Another slapping incident

The Star Online. News. Nation. Friday July 27, 2007

KLANG: A motor workshop owner is furious with the discipline teacher of a Tamil school whom he claimed had slapped his son over a trivial matter.

M. Shanmugamoorthy, 35, said the teacher had told his son Kirbakaran, who attends SJK (T) Batu Empat, Kampung Jawa, to pick up some rubbish in the classroom on Tuesday.

“My son was packing his schoolbag that moment and because of this he started picking up the rubbish only after completing the task,” said Shanmugamoorthy.

He claimed the teacher was enraged that the Year Four pupil had not picked up the rubbish immediately after she had ordered him to do so.

“She chided my son for the delay and slapped him for it.

“Kirbakaran stumbled and the left side of his face slammed against the corner of his desk,” alleged Shanmugamoorthy.

Shanmugamoorthy, who went to pick Kirbakaran from school, said he asked the teacher what had transpired but alleged that he did not expect the brush-off that awaited him.

“She told me that she had the right to hit Kirbakaran,” claimed Shanmugamoorthy.

He lodged a police report and took his son, who had a blue-black mark near the eye, for a medical examination at the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital the same day.

He alleged the same teacher had also slapped his Year Two daughter Thanusha for wearing her hair in a single plait a couple of months ago.

“She told Thanusha that she should wear her hair in double plaits whenever in school and then slapped her,” he said.

When contacted the school’s headmaster K. Chethraselvan said he had already gone to the state education department for advice on what to do next.

“Necessary and appropriate action would be taken as soon as possible,” he added.