Teacher accused of bullying Grade 3 learner for forgetting book at home

A case of common assault has been opened against a primary school teacher after she allegedly physically assaulted a Grade 3 learner for forgetting her communications book at home.

According to the Copesville learner, this is not the first incident in which she was victimised by the same teacher.

The learner’s mother told Public Eye Pietermaritzburg that her daughter returned from school one day with red marks on her upper left arm.

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“My daughter returned crying and [relayed] that her teacher hit her with a plank because she forgot her Communication book. The teacher hit her first on her head with a ruler and then asked my daughter to bring her bag to her desk. After the bag was emptied, she hit my daughter again with a plank.

“My daughter began crying and then the teacher made her stand in front of the class and asked the other learners to laugh at my daughter as she was crying,” said the mother.

The mother took the child to the doctor and was advised that she should open a case at the police station. The following day, when the mother reported the matter to the school’s principal, he asked the teacher to leave the premises immediately.

This is the third incident that the child has experienced. The first incident was at the beginning of the year when the mother was called to fetch her daughter when she was experiencing a panic attack as the teacher shook her until she was numb.

The other was a few weeks prior to the latest incident when the girl said the teacher hit her with a ruler after another child took her pen. The mother dismissed those incidents.

“I know that as adults we have the urge to smack children at times, but this has happened a few times and it should not go unnoticed now,” said the mother.

Spokesperson for the department of education Muzi Mahlambi said, should the allegations be true, disciplinary action will be taken.

“Teachers are not allowed to conduct any form of corporal punishment. Disciplinary action will be taken if the incidents are true,” said Mahlambi.

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