JEDDAH, 26 November 2006 — A teacher at the International Indian School-Jeddah (IISJ) has been accused by the father of a student of beating his child so severely that the 12-year-old seventh grader went blind and deaf for about 30 minutes.
Father Muhammad Sharif lodged an official complaint with local police and says that his son Fayez is still suffering from pain in his ear.
Fayez was admitted to Abeer Polyclinic on Nov. 16 with signs of abuse on his face and ears. The father said that he submitted the medical report to police and they requested another medical report from King Fahd Hospital.
“Both medical reports state that my son was beaten,” said Sharif, adding that the teacher had abused his son on numerous occasions, and that other parents have complained to him about this teacher’s conduct.
Shuaib Kazi, the chairman of the IISJ Managing Committee, told Arab News on Thursday that action was being taken against the erring teacher. But he stopped short of specifying the kind of punishment.
“We completely sympathize with the child and his parents and we have initiated action against the teacher,” said Kazi. “However, the committee feels that we should be discreet about the punishment. We don’t want to demoralize the teaching community.”
Kazi said Sharif seemed satisfied with the response from the school.
The issue has divided Indian parents in regards to corporeal punishment.
“Teachers should be treated with respect,” said Anwar Siddiqui, whose son attends the IISJ. “If we as parents continue to question every action of the teacher, then we will end up with spoiled kids — but let me clarify that teachers should know the line between right and wrong in terms of children’s behavior and their own.”
Tareq Muhammad Zabiuddin, another parent, said there is no room for corporal punishment.
“Who has given this teacher the right to thrash a little kid like that? It is horrible,” he said. “An example should be made out of this teacher to deter other teachers from doing the same. He should not be shielded as is being done now. Justice should be done.”
The principal of the school said that the incident was spurred when the class was being rowdy while the teacher was briefly out of the room. “It was between periods, a passing teacher told the class to be quiet, but one student didn’t, so the teacher slapped him, which was wrong.”
