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Teacher returned later “…with a next thicker steel ruler and then he lashed me four more times, and then my left hand started to bleed”- StudentA 12-year-old West Berbice lad was allegedly dealt eight lashes on his palms with two metal12- year- old Mukesh Mooklallrulers by a teacher of the Bush Lot Secondary School. The beating allegedly resulted in lacerations.The boy’s adopted grandfather is disturbed by the entire matter, especially the manner in which it is being handled by the Education Ministry and the Head Mistress, Ms Catherine Beaton.The Grade Seven boy, in the presence of his grandmother, told Kaieteur News that just after 14:00 hours on November 14, he was playing with an eraser in his hand, when the eraser accidentally flipped out of his hand and landed on a girl in the class.The girl complained to the teacher,James White Patriots Jersey, Gerald Moonsammy.The young industrial Arts teacher then entered the class and asked the girl to identify the student in question. She identified the boy.The child said that the teacher collected a 12-inch metal ruler and imposed four lashes on his palms,John Hannah Patriots Jersey, two on each hand. The teacher then put the boy to stand in front of the chalkboard with his hands in the air, and then left to go outside.The punishment was not over. After two minutes,Rocky Bleier Steelers Jersey, the boy said that the teacher returned to whip him some more.“He saw Kevin (a student in the class) with a next thicker steel ruler and then he lashed me four more times, and then my left hand started to bleed badly,” the boy added.He said the entire class witnessed this incident. The class, he said, brought the teacher’s attention to the bleeding boy’s hand, but all the teacher did was give him a handkerchief for the blood and he (the teacher) left the class.The boy said that he then left for the Head Mistress’s office and related what happened. He showed her his bleeding hand. She immediately started to bandage the hand It was dismissal time, shortly after he returned to the class.Upon arrival at home, the boy’s grandfather,Artie Burns Steelers Jersey, Siri Mooklall, took him that afternoon to the Regional Education Department at Fort Wellington, and informed the Regional Education Officer.The officer then asked Mooklall to visit the school the following day,Vic Beasley Jr Falcons Jersey, which he did. During a meeting the following day at the school with Ms Basdeo, the HM, the teacher and Mr Mooklall,Dermontti Dawson Steelers Jersey, it was discovered that several breaches occurred.According to Mr Mooklall, the teacher admitted to whipping the child and contravening regulations for corporal punishment in schools.Mooklall also revealed that there was no evident entry of the whipping, as stipulated by Ministry of Education regulations, in the school’s Misdemeanor’s Book. The third breach was that the HM was not informed by the teacher that he had administered corporal punishment.Another breach was that the instrument used to whip the child was out of order, since it was made of metal.The boy was then taken to the Fort Wellington Hospital where he received a medical certificate from Dr Nelson Sinclair.On Wednesday, during another visit with the Education Officer,Patrick Chung Patriots Jersey, Mr Mooklall related that the officer told him that he will make contact with the teacher’s father, who is employed with the Region Five Democratic Council, where a settlement can be offered. Mr Mooklall said he never agreed to such a thing and left the office.The following day, he said that the HM went to the class and embarrassed the child by telling the class that his grandfather wants money to settle the matter.The boy’s grandfather said that he wants the matter to be properly dealt with. He feels that the authorities are delaying action since they want to cover up the matter.The Bush Lot Secondary School, where the incident took placeYoung Mukesh said that to date the teacher has never apologized or asked to see the hands where the lashes were administered.When contacted, Head Mistress of Bush Lot Secondary, Mrs Catherine Beaton, said, “I don’t know if the child was whipped with iron ruler. I can tell you when the boy came to me, his hands had two little—little—cuts; so it’s obvious the teacher must have hit the child.”She said that she “called the teacher and reprimanded him”. She also stated that an entry was made in the Misdemeanor’s Book, after the incident took place.When asked if the teacher had acted against MOE CP policy, Beaton replied,Mike Mitchell Steelers Jersey, “If you hit a child,Antonio Brown Steelers Jersey, the head teacher is the sole authority to delegate perhaps, a senior teacher.” She related that Moonsammy is not a senior teacher.Regional Education Officer Mr Owen Pollard was out of office on Friday afternoon. |
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