Assault on sick 6th grader: Kerala teacher removed from duty

Kannur: In an alleged incident of cruelty on a sixth-grade student in a Kerala school, a teacher has been temporarily removed from duty after allegedly kicking the child when she collapsed unconscious in the classroom. The teacher, Sister Linto Joseph, is from St. Joseph’s UP School in Kunnoth, where the incident allegedly took place, according to a report by The Hindu.

The Thalassery Diocese Corporate Educational Agency, which manages the school, ordered the temporary removal of Sister Linto Joseph and appointed a special committee to investigate the allegations.

According to a complaint filed by the student’s parents, the child collapsed around noon on Wednesday. Classmates informed the head teacher, after which the class teacher allegedly questioned why the student had not approached her directly. The teacher is then accused of kicking the child while she was lying unconscious on the classroom floor and making a degrading remark about whether she had died.

The student reportedly suffers from fluctuations in blood sodium levels and takes regular medication. Relatives said the school authorities were aware of her condition.

The parents later confronted the teacher and subsequently staged a protest at the school, demanding her dismissal. The teacher initially denied the allegations.

School authorities, however, have denied that she kicked or verbally abused the student. The teacher is understood to have acknowledged that she failed to handle the situation appropriately. The management has now launched a formal inquiry.

The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has also taken suo motu cognisance of the incident. Commission member B. Mohankumar registered a case and sought reports from the Deputy Director of Education, Kannur, and the Station House Officer of Iritty police station.

The investigation will examine the allegations and circumstances surrounding the incident.