Boy stripped in class; shivers in the cold

Shocked and shivering. That’s how a student felt when a teacher forced him to strip down to his undergarments as a punishment in class.

The Grade 5 schoolboy was put through the humiliation because he felt cold with the air-conditioner at full blast, and did not listen to the teacher when he was asked not to adjust the sleeves of his shirt.

The teacher was later sacked by the Sharjah Education Zone (SEZ) after an enquiry was conducted.

“I’m appalled by this act of the teacher who is not fit to work in the profession,” said Saeed Musabeh Al Kabi, Director of Sharjah Education Zone. He said he took swift action after a panel, which investigated the incident, confirmed the teacher was at fault. He said such an act would affect the mental and psychiatric state of the child and was unwarranted.

The teacher and the principal of the American curriculum school have been summoned for further questioning into the shocking incident. Officials also found the woman teacher working illegally at the school as the school management had not completed her appointment procedures. “This is a blatant violation committed by both the school and the teacher,” said Al Kabi.

Further, the school was hauled up for not sticking to rules pertaining to appointment of employees.

Sawsan Essa Obaid, Head of the Legal Affairs Section, termed the action of the teacher as ‘uncivilised’. Corporal punishment and extreme measures like this cause trauma on the child, she said.

The Ministry of Education prohibits corporal punishments in schools.

malzarooni@khaleejtimes.com