Ankit Mahat, 12, a sixth grader at Angel Secondary School, Gharbari Tole in Nepalgunj Sub-Metropolis-2 has been badly beaten by his teacher Nilu Tripathi on July 5.

The boy has bruises and swelling on his left side of cheek and temple. It is said that the boy was beaten for not being in the class. 

When asked by media persons and human rights activists, school founder Bina Malla regretted the incident. “We have been reminding the teachers against inflicting corporal punishment but it was serious mistake on our side that such incident occurred”, she said. She informed that the teacher joined the school two months ago.

Malla further said, “if the boy had indeed committed a mistake, she should have informed me or the administration. If we cannot change the students’ behavior, we would inform the parents but would not beat them up”.

Accused teacher Tripathi defended her action saying it was minor punishment as the boy was indisciplined. However, the boy said that he had cheered along with many of his friends when the teacher informed that it would be a sports day on July 6. “Mam made my friends hold my hand and slapped me 11 times”, Ankit said claiming she had aslo punished him in the past by pressing his fingers while placing ballpoint pen between them.

CWIN Nepalgunj team went to the school to get the information and called it as a violation of child rights adding the school should scrutinize the teachers while appointing them.

Parent of the boy and INSEC Mid-Western Regional Coordinator Bhola Mahat said that had the boy been behaving badly in the school, the parents should have been informed”.