Teacher suspended for allegedly damaging 10-year-old’s eye

Srinagar/Uri, Mar 23: A 10-year-old kid’s had his left eye severely damaged when his Mathematics teacher allegedly beaten him up.
Faisal Ahmad Lone, a resident of Uri in north Kashmir Baramulla district, has been admitted to the SMHS Hospital and is under medical care.
His father, Farooq Ahmad Lone, told The Kashmir Monitor that the beating was so “ruthless” that his son has hardly spoken any word since the incident took place on March 19.
Narrating the incident, Farooq said, “Faisal has always been a quiet kid. He came home at 4 pm and was constantly rubbing his left eye. We did not give much notice to it. Later, at around 8 pm, his sister told us that he had been beaten up by his teacher.”
Faisal, a class 4 student at Government Middle School Nambala, as per his father, was beaten up by the teacher, named Shaheena Bano, at around 1pm.
“After severely damaging my son’s eye, she (teacher) did not even care to take him to the hospital. In fact, she made Faisal sit in the school till 4 in the evening. How cruel!” said Farooq.
His mother, Ruqsana Bano, said that the teacher Shaheena had also “bribed” Suhail with Rs 10 for buying snacks while asking him not to tell anyone at home about the incident.
Shaheena, however, said that it was an accident.
She said had not hit Suhail, but, while teaching, the stick that she carried “unintentionally” hit the student’s eye.
“I was teaching mathematics tables to the students, using the stick to point out the numbers written on the black board,” she said. “A student sitting on a bench at the back stood up and asked a question. After answering him, I signaled him to sit down, and that is when Suhail, who was sitting on the first bench, mistakenly got hit in his eye by the stick.”
Shaheena said that whatever happened “was a fault of the situation”, and she has assured the family “all the support in whatever way possible”.
A doctor treating Suhail at the SMHS Hospital said he has undergone two surgeries and shown positive signs of recovery.
“I believe the next two surgeries will heal his eye. As of now, looking at the reports, he won’t be losing his eyesight. But post-surgery, family will have to take extra care of him,” the doctor said.
Mohammad Younis Kakroo, the school principal, also assured “all the support” to the family.
He said a team has been constituted to investigate the incident.
“Whatever happened is wrong. Soon after the incident, I had asked Shaheena for an explanation and she has responded back. Investigation will now take place,” he assured.
He said the team would submit its report to the Chief Education officer, Baramulla.
Later, the Department of School Education Kashmir suspended the teacher.
“The suspension order against the teacher is issued by the Chief Education Officer, Baramulla on the instructions of DSEK. Reportedly the eye of the student has been severely damaged. Taking cognizance of the reports Director School Education Kashmir Dr. G.N. Itoo has constituted an enquiry committee which shall submit a report within three days,” read a government handout.