Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand has confirmed that the ministry will be investigating the case of a teacher who was seen in a video hitting a student over the socks he had worn.
The video was apparently filmed by someone in the Bartica Secondary School classroom showing the confrontation between a teacher and a male student. The classroom was filled with students when the incident occurred. A complaint has been lodged with the police.
The clip which lasted for some 24 seconds showed the student refusing to take off socks which were not acceptable according to the school’s dress code.
As a consequence of his refusal to take off the offending socks, the student was hit with a T-square and pushed into a chair by the male teacher. He was seen trying to get up and walk away from the teacher.
This act was met with some resistance as the boy shouted, “Boy, why are you lashing me for?” and the teacher also shouted, “I getting serious with you. You are wasting my time. Hey, take off the socks, Think I joking with you.”
In the face of continued resistance, the teacher again attempted to push the student into the chair causing him to fall to the floor.
It was then that the teacher proceeded to take off the student’s shoes, flinging them away. He then removed the socks while the student was on the ground.
Stabroek News contacted the Minister of Education who stated that she is aware of the matter and it is currently being investigated.
The Minister said that her initial thought is that teachers should follow protocol when disciplining students, and what is seen in the video goes against that precept.
“The Ministry has begun its investigation that is separate from the complaint made to the police. The rules on how to administer corporal punishment in and of itself are very clear and there are specific procedures to be followed, particularly, they should not be disciplined in the presence of other children and not in an abusive way at all.”
The Minister added that when the investigation is over, the ministry will act accordingly.
