When it comes to school punishment, teachers and educators have mixed opinions on disciplining students. The older generations have numerous memories of being punished by their teachers. Even some could laugh when they look back on those memories. Regardless of the disciplinary action, teachers must still abide by the Education Ordinance 1957 and Education Rules 1957.
Sadly, things can go wrong when it’s taken too far. On April 30th, a standard 5 student from a primary school in Ampang Jaya was punished by a 37-year-old teacher. The student was punished alongside other 3 students. Sadly, this punishment left the boy disabled for the rest of his life.
Left Under Scorching Sun for Almost 3 Hours
The 11-year-old pupil was instructed to stand under the sun with 3 other students by his teacher. According to the student’s mother, Mohagana Selvi, 34, his son had to stand in the middle of the school field under the hot sun from 10 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. The boy also told his mother that his teacher decided to punish him after the three boys threw a water bottle at him. However, the other 3 boys were only ordered to stand for a while before being called back into the class. Only Mohagana’s son received the longest hour out in the hot afternoon.
Soon after the boy came home, his eyes were red. Mohagana also said that his son complained about a severe headache and was rushed to the hospital for treatment. Once they reached the hospital, the boy collapsed at the emergency department. After being admitted to the ward, the doctor discovered that Mohagana’s son suffered from a heatstroke. The boy also suffered from nerve damage due to being left under the sun for long hours.
Parents of The Punished Student Demands for Justice
The devastated parents filed a report on the same day, demanding actions to be taken against the teacher. A media conference was held a few days later at a restaurant in Kuala Lumpur. Suresh Balakrishna, the boy’s father, and his wife, Mohagana Selvi, spoke to the journalists about their disappointment.
Dayalan Sreebalan, a spokesperson for the parents and the chairman of Malaysia Indian Action Force (MIAForce) told the media that Mohagana’s son was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Hospital Ampang. He also said the boy’s head temperature reached almost 40 degrees Celsius. During this conference, Mohagana mentioned that she tried to contact the teacher through WhatsApp soon after her son was admitted to the hospital. Unfortunately, she was blocked on the application.
The mother expressed her grief during the media conference regarding her boy. She said that her son’s ambition to be a police officer might never happen due to his status as a Person with Disabilities (PwD). Mohagana Selvi told the media that her family is already struggling financially. They reside in a low-cost apartment and her husband works as a scrape collector. However, what saddens her the most is that his son is no longer cheerful and active.
Mohagana Selvi explained that his son was traumatized by the incident. The boy would stay quiet at one time and behave frantically at another. He would also frequently run water on his head, almost as if he felt his head burning. At one point, Mohagana watched her son staring out the window and scared. When asked, the boy said he feared the teacher who punished him would come over to catch him.
Additionally, the boy also suffered from epilepsy for the first time after the incident. After being treated for 5 days at Ampang Hospital, doctors released a psychiatric report of Mohagana’s son. It was revealed that the boy was a victim of bullying. Aside from being hit on the head with a water bottle, the standard 5 schoolboy had also been spat on the head by his classmates.
Stern Action Taken by The Police and Ministry of Education
While the authorities were carrying out their investigation, the parents’ lawyer, Dinesh Muthal, planned to file a civil suit against the responsible parties. Dinesh said that this incident had put an enormous amount of pressure on Mohagana, who is also pregnant. Furthermore, the lawyer claimed that the parents were prohibited from coming to or entering the school. Even worse, the school issued three warning letters to Mohagana’s son when the boy was treated at Ampang Hospital.
The Education Minister, Fadhlina Sidek, has taken all the necessary actions to investigate this matter. However, her ministry would let the police take further action when the investigation is complete. Fadhlina added that the ministry doesn’t compromise with any teachers that go beyond the standard operating procedures and teaching protocols. She will also ensure that the disabled 11-year-old boy receives all the help he needs from Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat (JKM).
Suspicion of Witness Tampering
Recently, the police finished the investigation and waited for further action from the public’s prosecutor office. However, six weeks had passed, and the parents were still required to give statements to the investigating officer (IO). This confusing process has caused the parents to demand a change of investigating officer in the case. They had to ensure their son’s case wouldn’t be classified as “NFA (No Further Action).”
Meanwhile, the lawyer’s family, Dinesh Muthal, claimed that witness tampering had happened during the investigation. He said the victim’s classmate, who’s also a witness of this case, has been called out by the teachers during the meeting between the boy’s parents and the school administration.
According to Dinesh, the witness was allegedly threatened by the teacher. He also added that the police should focus their investigation and inquiries on the suspect, not the victim of the incident.
