Rohru teacher beats up student with a prickly stick, suspended

A Head Teacher of Government Primary School, Gawana, in Rohru subdivision has been suspended for inflicting “severe corporal punishment” on a student of the school.

In a video that has gone viral, Reena Rathore, the teacher, is seen hitting the wailing student with a prickly bush. The wailing student is without a shirt, and the teacher is repeatedly heard asking the student to take off his pants as well. The student is seen pleading for mercy, but the teacher doesn’t relent.

As soon as the video went viral on social media, Deputy Director Education (Elementary), Shimla, issued orders for immediate suspension of the teacher. “It’s a gross violation of Section 17 of the Right of Children to free and compulsory education and the standing instruction of the government. This conduct constitutes gross misconduct under Rule 3 (1) of CCS Rules, showing complete lack of devotion to duty and behaviour unbecoming of a government servant,” the suspension order read.

The teacher is facing severe backlash on social media, with people condemning her for the act some even suggesting psychological counselling to her.

Incidentally, the department has suspended quite a few teachers this month for varied reasons. Just a few days back, a JBT teacher was suspended for turning up drunk in Government Primary School, Khorsu, in Rohru sub-division. On the complaints of local people against the teacher, SDM, Rohru, visited the school and found the teacher in an inebriated condition.

In another case, a teacher at Government Middle School in Shimla was suspended for fake attendance. It was found that the teacher was absent for the last many days but the online record showed her present. On further inquiry, it was found that the teacher had kept her sim card in school, through which she was marking herself present on an online system despite being absent.

The other case pertains to Government Senior Secondary School, Ronahat, where a Drawing Master was suspended for horrendous spelling mistakes on a cheque. The teacher spelt Rs 7,616 as ‘Saven Thursday Six Harendra Sixty’. A couple of months back, Directorate of School Education had terminated the services of a physical lecturer on the charges of misbehaviour and molestation of students at Government Senior Secondary School, Paonta Sahib.

“We have asked deputy directors to take prompt and strict action against teachers for issues like absenteeism, corporal punishment, inebriation, etc,” said Ashish Kohli, Director of School Education, explaining the surge in action against teachers.

Meanwhile, an FIR has been registered against the teachers and two others on the complaint of Santosh Sharma, chairperson, Child Welfare Committee, Shimla.