Headmaster’s alleged thrashing sends Odisha schoolboy to hospital

The district education officer directed the Block Education Officer (BEO) to conduct a detailed probe into the incident.

A fifth standard tribal student of a primary school had to be admitted to a hospital in Odisha’s Jharsuguda, about 330 km northwest of Bhubaneswar after he was allegedly thrashed by the headmaster in-charge of the school.

The child’s father said his son was beaten up after he had an altercation with a friend. (Representative image/HT Photo)

The boy’s father Rajendra Durua, a daily labourer, in his complaint to the district education officials on Friday alleged that the acting headmaster Nirmal Nayak of Balijori Nodal Primary School on Thursday thrashed his son Durua for no reason that left him traumatised.

“When my son came back home yesterday from school, his face was swollen. He was crying and started vomiting. We had to admit him in the district hospital,” said Durua. “Yesterday there was altercation between my son and his friend after which the headmaster intervened. But instead of helping the kids end the tiff, he started thrashing my son.”

Paediatrician Dr Mahesh Mohan Panda, who attended the child said the thrashing has traumatised him. “There are injuries and swelling in his face. He has bruises in and around the eye as well. But he is currently stable,” he said.

The child’s mother said this was the second time that his son was beaten by the headmaster. “We are sending our kid to school to study, not get beaten by teachers. Kids often engage in minor arguments while playing. The headmaster has earlier tortured several other students of the school. Since the headmaster thrashed my child I will lodge a police complaint against him,” said Laxmi Dharua.

Following the father’s complaint, the district education officer directed the Block Education Officer (BEO) to conduct a detailed probe into the incident. A team of district child welfare committee was also asked to investigate the matter.

Headmaster Nayak could not be contacted.

Odisha banned corporal punishment in schools in 2004 following strings of allegations of teachers beating up students. It said severe disciplinary action would be taken against such teachers. It even started a telephone helpline for students to report in case they get any physical punishment for teachers. But despite that there have been several incidences of teachers preferring to wield the stick on kids.