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Eleven-year-old Shano Ayub passed away in the early hours of Friday, her frail body unable to survive the inhuman punishment in school two days ago.
A little after lunch on Wednesday, in the MCD Primary School 5, Shano was asked by teacher Manju, 27, to translate a word into English. When she failed to give a satisfactory answer, Manju asked her to sit like a hen in the scorching heat outside. The teacher also reportedly put two bricks on her back. Shano suffered for nearly two hours before collapsing.
Her sister Saina, 7, said: “Shano’s requests for water went unheard. In fact, Manju madam brought a bottle of chilled water and poured it all over Shano. She even pushed my sister with her elbow. Shano fell on the nearby wall and started bleeding from her nose. I ran home and informed my mother.”
Saina, who studies in Class III, is an eye witness to the incident.
Mother Rihana Khatun rushed to the school and informed principal Dhanpat Dubey when she saw her daughter had become unconscious. Rihana said: “The teacher did not help and asked my to take my daughter to a doctor.” Her husband was out of town at that time.
Rihana first took Shano to a maulana who tried to revive her. When she did not respond, Rihana rushed her to the Maharishi Valmiki Hospital. Seeing Shano in a critical state, the doctors referred her to the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital, where she slipped into a coma. Shano passed away in the early hours of Friday.
Shano, though older to Saina, studied in Class II. She failed last year as she had been admitted well into the session, her mother said.
Meanwhile, at their cramped jhuggi in J J Colony, Narela, Shano’s brother Arman, 1, and Imran, 5, were oblivious of the cameras as they played with each other on Friday. A stream of relatives and neighbours dropped by to console the family.
Shano died because of the heat
The postmortem on Shano’s body will be conducted on Saturday after a medical board is formed. Preliminary reports suggest she succumbed because of the intense heat. Doctors said her pulse was feeble when she was brought in.
Father Ayub Khan, kept repeating, “Her teacher made her stand in the sun only because she could not spell a word in English. She was on the ventilator for two days but did not survive,” he said.
The teacher on the other hand has told the police that Shano had frequent fits, and that she went out in the sun on her own. It is learnt Manju had been cruel to Shano in the past, and had beaten her often. Saina said: “This is how she punishes every girl. But she was more rude to Shano and had also slapped her several times.”
Shano wanted to leave school after Manju joined Rihana said Shano had complained of Manju’s bad behaviour ever since the teacher joined the school last year. Rihana said: “She asked me several times if she could enroll in another school as Manju beat her often.” Rihana and her neighbours had also brought the matter to the school’s notice but no action was taken. No civic official has also visited the family, nor any compensation has been announced.
Case of culpable homicide
A case under section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) has been registered at the Narela Police Station but the teacher could not be arrested since she is untraceable. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer District) Atul Katiyar said, “We are waiting for the medical report to initiate further action. A team has also been sent to Sonepat, where Manju lives.”
MCD’s inquiry
Spokesperson Deep Mathur said: “The civic body has ordered an inquiry by the Chief Vigilance Officer. The report is expected by Tuesday.” Sources said Mayor Aarti Mehra has requested the MCD Commissioner to terminate the services of the teacher. In a press communique, the MCD commissioner expressed regret about Shano’s death. MCD is also planning to hold sensitisation workshops for teachers at zonal levels after the elections. This will have inputs from NGOs, psychology and education experts and MCD officials. The Delhi government has also sent the civic body an advisory to take exemplary action against teachers who indulge in corporal punishment.
Local Congress nominee Krishna Tirath also visited the family on Friday.
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It is really an abominable incident. It is not only a case for Shanno, hunndreds of such unnoticed cases are happening in Indian shools. Its a shameful matter. After six decades of our independence,we are unable to protect the child right. Who is responsible for this ? Obviously we the teachers. Puishment is not the only instrument to discipline the child, there are others effective like love and effection. If we can make the to realize his or her mistake, make it sure that he or she will not repeat the same again. Dont thrash your frustration on children. Have courage to keep it for the higher authority and then you will be the real teacher.
It is really a sad incident, but it is not a solitary case. We read news every now and then where teachers meet out harsh corporal punishment to students for very minor mistakes. I recall the case of a young girl, who was struck by the teacher on her face with a cane, for not being able to read out her lesson correctly. She lost her eye for ever. If we analyse the cause of such mishaps, we will find two main factors responsible. The first is the mushroom like growth of ill equipped schools in every nook and corner. The teachers are untrained and ill paid. These institutes are more of a commercial shop than a school. The second factor is based on the first. The teachers, who lack proper training and experience are also poorly paid. They have their own problems and frustrations of present day fast life like anybody else. The treatment of school management is also not very cordial towards the teachers. Thus, the teachers working under heavy stress vent out their frustration on the students, who are not in a position to protest or retaliate. The school administration is fully responsible for the safety and welfare of students as long as they are in the school. The school authorities also should be made accountable in the present incident along with the teacher. By the way, making teacher's son stand out in the sun is not a solution of the problem. The real solution is to ensure proper training to teachers in handling the students, especially of lower classes, AND completely ban corporal punishment. I believe that already there are laws to this effect, but these are not being implemented. Teacher-Parent societies should look into this aspect.
its only when the kid of the teacher in question is made to stand in the sun, will she realize what its all about!
This woman, deserves corporal punishment and the Principal life in prison. They were supposed to protect and take care of the child during school hours, instead of torturing her.If they can't protect and take care of kids, how can they teach? Shame on the whole barbaric system.
This really unfortune all over INDIA many Shano are getting punished at their inocent age. It is high time NGO should start monitoring all the primary school where the teachers attitude is worst and they show their personal frustuation of day to day of life on these inocent children. I could see this type in not only govt school also in well known private institute. For ex school like kumaran's which is hindu dominated students are studying where christian teachers behave with children badly and always compare / complain about management with other chritan school like st. josehph where their children also studies. Kumaran' managment wake up and just check all your staff how they behave with primary school students 1st to 4th std studnets. I am writing this with athetecated information from students and parents i wonder why they keep mum and not complaining about that teacher to managment of Kumarans