Corporal punishment: One dies in AP school

Hyderabad, Sept 14: Schools are fast turning into "horror camps" in

. Students are subjected to severe beating and spanking on a large-scale basis. Two cases of

have been reported within 48 hours from the state, leading to the death of one student. While in the second case, two students received severe injuries after being brutally beaten by a teacher.

Mohammed Ismail, a student of class X, died after he was allegedly made to do sit ups as punishment in the school. Parents of the victim have alleged that after the punishment, the boy suffered a breakdown and died in the hospital.

"The Royal Embassy School tortured my son to death. Strict action as per the laws must be taken against them," Ismail's father Mohd Siddique Hussain told television channel CNN-IBN.

Family members say that Ismail was punished on Sept 4. Ismail died in a hospital on Thursday, Sept 13. A post-mortem report is awaited to ascertain if the act of corporal punishment led to the 15-year-old's death.

"We've registered a case of death 304-A. The cause of death will be known only once the medical records and the post-mortem report comes out," DCP Akun Sabharwal said.

In another incident of corporal punishment in Gunter district, two students were badly beaten in their school.

The head master of a municipal high school has been accused of beating two students with a piece of wire. The students say they were punished for not adhering to the school dress code.

Andhra Pradesh has the dubious distinction of the maximum number of corporal punishment incidents recorded.

Supreme Court had banned corporal punishment in schools in 2000. The Section 17 of Right to Education (RTE) Act, which came into effect on Apr 1, 2010 states, "No child shall be subjected to physical punishment and mental harassment."

OneIndia News