NAGPUR, March 13: An angry school lady teacher seems to have created a record of sorts when she did not spare the rod and went on a mass thrashing spree by venting her ire on 72 girls studying in Std IV of the Providence Girl's High School, Civil Lines here on Wednesday, on charges of indiscipline.Talking to The Indian Express, enraged parents of some students charged all the 72 girl students of the class were severely caned on their legs with a wooden stick by class teacher Usha Wankhede. Blood clots and scratches of the beating were still visible on the girls legs four hours after the incident. Some girls even bled on the spot, charged angry parents.
The agitated parents marched to the school in the evening to complain about the brutal incident to the school principal, Sister Alice, who promised to look into the matter.
According to the parents, class teacher Usha Wankhede, lost her cool when some of the girl students failed to recite the tables she had asked them to learn while she was not in theclass. When she returned to the classroom, she found some girls talking among themselves, which infuriated her further.
This resulted in the mass thrashing, the parents complained.The parents demanded a through probe into the matter as they revealed that the teacher is in a habit of beating up the girls for the flimsiest of reasons.
Talking to The Indian Express, Sister Alice said, she was extremely sorry for the incident as it was a matter of concern for the 93-year-old institution respected in the city for its high quality of education.
The concerned teacher was summoned in her chamber today morning by Sister Alice and asked to explain the matter. She was also reprimanded by the principal for yesterday's unsavoury incident. Alice also met parents of some of the girls involved in the incident today and explained there was no malice in beating up the students, which certainly was not severe. ``The students were beaten with a good intention of instilling discipline in them. The concerned teacher has alsobeen reprimanded for her action. However, yesterday's incident had no effect on the students and 68 out of the 72 girl students attended regular classes today,'' she said.
While, Wankhede said, she was sorry for the incident and should not have punished the entire class for the mistake of a few students. Explaining yesterday's incident, she said as she had to go to the staff room for a little while, she asked the students to study on their own quietly till she came back.
However, on her return, she saw some of the students talking loudly among themselves, even as some ran around the classroom creating a ruckus. When she asked the students to recite the lesson, many failed to do so. This infuriarated her and she punished the entire class for not maintaining discipline, Wankhede explained.
Wankhede said she regretted the incident. ``I repent my actions now and am sorry for the whole episode. I know I should not have beaten the students. I didn't mean to hurt anybody and so didn't hit too hard. The classtests are on. The final exams too are near and I had to make sure the students learnt their lessons well. Tomorrow if the students don't do well, the same parents who are complaining today would blame me for not teaching well. Are you aware of the intense pressures put on us by the parents with regard to the performance of their children,''she questioned.
Wankhede said, she was not aware of the Zilla Parishad's Education department's role that children cannot be beaten by the teachers. ``I am a product of this same school. In our days we were beaten too, but no one made a hue and cry about it like the parents did today. I am not a saddist to hurt the tender children. My intention in hitting the children was to maintain discipline. Sometimes you have to be strict with the children for their good,'' she maintained.
Sister Alice hoped since she had already taken the necessary action against the concerned teacher, the matter would end without any further animosity between the parents and the schoolauthorities.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
