Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Education Department has suspended an assistant teacher following allegations of corporal punishment at Khandadeula Government Upper Primary School under Baisinga police station limits in Mayurbhanj district.
According to reports, Sukanti Kar, an assistant teacher, allegedly beat 31 students from classes 6, 7, and 8 with a bamboo stick for not touching her feet after the morning prayer session on Thursday. While students traditionally show respect by touching their teacher’s feet immediately after prayers, Kar arrived late and the students had already left the prayer session. Frustrated, she reportedly physically punished the students, causing injuries. One boy sustained a fracture, and a girl lost consciousness, requiring hospitalisation, the school management committee revealed after an inquiry.
Following the incident, Headmaster Purnachandra Ojha, Block Education Officer Biplab Kar, Cluster Resource Centre Coordinator Debashish Sahu, and school management committee members launched an investigation and found the teacher guilty.
“The accused teacher has been suspended with immediate effect,” said Biplab Kar.
It is noteworthy that corporal punishment has been banned in all educational institutions across Odisha since September 2004.
