Beaten to bed

From: bhutantimes.bt

Written by Karma Tshering Thai

May 16, 2010: A 16-year-old class VIII student of Dungtse Middle Secondary School in Trashigang is bearing the brunt of an angry teacher. Sangay Dendup has missed more than three weeks of classes now after he was beaten up by a teacher in the school.

The teacher, Karma Jamtsho, ‘kicked and slapped’ the student on April 22 in front of friends and school mates until he fell down on the ground. The victim’s father, Minjur, has written a letter to the education minister requesting for an investigation into the case.

Sangay Dendup was asked by the hostel warden to ring the bell before time that day. Karma Jamtsho, the teacher on duty, enraged by the act, bashed Sangay Dendup. Only later he was told that the warden had instructed Sangay Dendup to ring the bell.

The principal of the school, Kinzang, said Sangay Dendup was beaten up by Karma Jamtsho but did not suffer any physical injuries. “I have got a written statement from Karma Jamtsho accepting that he had used physical force in rage,” said the principal.

Karma Jamtsho in his statement to the Principal writes that the main cause was an untimely bell given as a call for evening study which was scheduled to happen in respective hostels.

“Since I was already annoyed it so happened that I kicked him on his back,” he writes.

Later the teacher called Sangay Dendup for reconciliation. However Karma Jamtsho in his statement says the student responded to him in anger. This further annoyed him. “Hardly any sensible and obedient student would reply in such a manner to his or her teacher,” writes Karma Jamtsho. “This annoyed me again and I slapped him.”

“Whatever I have done to him was just an intention to rectify his behavior and to avoid any kind of misbehavior from him in the long run. At any cost I did not want to leave him hurt. I went to his hostel and asked for his forgiveness and consoled him in the presence of school captain and school bell captain,” writes Karma Jamtsho.

The victim’s father told Bhutan Times that his son was first taken to the Phongmey BHU and after the health assistant did not find any physical injuries was referred to the Trashigang hospital.

“The entire medical checkup expenses were born by the school authority,” said the principal, adding that the school authority on behalf of the teacher also tried to solve the problem by offering Nu 3,000 to 4,000 to the victim’s parents. “They (victim’s parents) refused the offer demanding Nu 15,000 to 20,000.”

When the incident took place, the victim’s father was at Laya in Gasa constructing houses on a contract basis. He was called by his wife and informed of the incident.

The principal said the victim’s father demanded Karma Jamtsho to refund all the expenditure he incurred while travelling from Laya to Phongmey. “We knew that it was our fault and did our best to negotiate but the victim’s father did not agree to what we offered,” he said.

Minjur, the victim’s father, appealed to the education minister on May 3. The Department of School Education has been directed by the minister to verify and to take necessary action. The education minister also called the parents of the student.

The director general of the Department of School Education, Tshewang Tandin, said nothing appropriate can be said right now because the case needs to be sorted out in the field consulting the principal and the district education officer.

The education secretary, Sangay Zam, who left for the east along with the education officials to study the status of the earthquake victims, on the sidelines, will also visit Dungtse Middle Secondary School to look into the case.

She said education policy does not allow the implementation of corporal punishment in schools.

The victim’s father is waiting for a response from the education ministry.

“In case the education ministry takes time I will report the case to the police,” said the aggrieved father.

Meanwhile, Sangay Dendup has not been able to attend school.