the Education Ministry has launched an investigation into Stella Maris Primary School, where it was alleged that a five-year-old nursery student was beaten by his teacher.
The child’s mother took to social media to express her deep dissatisfaction with the treatment her child is receiving at the nursery school. Her comments attracted several responses from concerned parents.
Chief Education Officer Olato Sam speaking with Guyana Times said the incident is being investigated and based on the findings, disciplinary actions will be taken against the teacher if found culpable.
On social media, the distraught mother’s post attracted the attention of former Education Minister Priya Manickchand, who being an Attorney by profession, provided the legal steps that the mother could take to obtain justice for her child.
According to the mother’s Facebook post, she walked into her child’s school and saw the child crying
The child’s shoulderwhere he was allegedly struck by the teacher
uncontrollably, to the extent of him failing to form sentences. The mother questioned her son about what happened and he responded saying that “a girl was beating me up and because I slapped her back, teacher hit me.”
The mother is outraged that the teacher did not make the girl apologise to her son for hitting him but instead made the situation worse by subjecting the child to corporal punishment. “The teacher wanted him to put out his hand for a lash and because he refused, she found it necessary to deal him a blow to his shoulder… with a metal ruler… now her explanation to me is…”he was being rude to her,” the mother said.
The mother made serious allegations of improprieties her child has suffered at the school, noting that he was sprayed with Lysol disinfectant spray.
According to her, her son has suffered tremendously at the school. The mother who sought the Ministry’s intervention stated “this is victimisation to the fullest extent and I have had enough! Something has to be done! My child has to get some sort of justification for the trauma he has to go through on a daily basis by the people who have been entrusted to take care of him.”
When contacted, the Head teacher of Stella Maris declined to comment on the matter.
