Chon Buri teacher allegedly injures student with forced exersises

A teacher in Sri Racha district of Chon Buri province has allegedly injured a 12 year old student by forcing her to do 60 squat jumps. The girl’s father says she was hospitalised for 6 days for “a very bad fever and leg pain”. He said his daughter was discharged from the hospital on May 31.

The father, 36 year old Surat Pri-Udom, said the teacher punished the entire class of sixth graders with the squat jumps after someone spilled liquid ink on her desk. Surat showed up to Sri Racha Police Station yesterday (Wednesday) to press charges against the teacher.

The girl’s mother, 40 year old Potjaman Pathumnangsri, told the press that she had never believed someone who she trusted to care for her daughter would harm her like this. She added that teachers should use sympathy to deal with children’s behaviour issues, and not anger. Initially, Sri Racha police would summon the accused teacher for an interrogation to be fair for both parties.

This is far from the first accusation against a Thai teacher of inhumanely punishing students. Even though corporal punishment is technically illegal in Thai schools, headlines about it can be found across the internet. In March, a Pattaya mother accused a teacher of hitting her 10 year old son because he asked too many questions during an exam. The mother said her son came home with a bruise on his neck.

Thailand’s school curriculum drills ideas of “discipline, respect for law, and obedience to older citizens” from a young age. Many have argued that the overtly hierarchical culture of Thai schools and Thai society has allowed teachers to abuse students.

SOURCE: The Pattaya News