Schools in Ahmedabad Suspend Teachers and Principal for Severe Corporal Punishment of Students | Ahmedabad News

AHMEDABAD: Following an order from the Ahmedabad (city) DEO, two teachers and a principal were suspended from two city schools on Tuesday for doling out corporal punishment to students.
The trustees of Madhav Public School in Vatva suspended the principal, Mayur Palashadiya, and a teacher, Abhishek Patel, a day after a CCTV clip from the school showing Patel ruthlessly beating up a Class 10 student gained traction online.The teacher was caught on camera repeatedly slapping the student and banging his head on the classroom wall.
Similarly, Shivay Sharma, a teacher at Divine Gurukul School in Hathijan was also suspended. He allegedly slapped a student multiple times, resulting in damage to the student’s eardrum.
Ahmedabad City DEO Rohit Chaudhary said, “We issued notices to these two schools on Monday, demanding an explanation in a day. The incident at Madhav Public School came to light on Sep 24 after the student’s parents filed a police complaint. We found that the principal tried to cover up the incident by making the teacher write an apology letter to the parents of the child. The school trust was ordered to suspend both.”
He added, “Similarly, the teacher at Divine Gurukul School was also found to be guilty of beating up a student. In this case, the student’s eardrum was affected due to the teacher’s corporal punishment.”
The DEO also issued a circular ordering strict enforcement of rules against physical punishment. The circular states, “Disciplinary action will be taken against anyone found subjecting students to physical or mental harassment.” Schools have been asked to train their staff and ensure teachers are informed to prevent such incidents.
In his letter to all schools, DEO Chaudhary stressed that the holistic development of children is a key responsibility of schools. “It is crucial for teachers to educate children in a nurturing environment. However, incidents of physical punishment or mental harassment by some schools have come to attention. Teachers who are supposed to be role models for children, acting in such a manner can negatively impact their mental health, leading to psychological issues,” the letter stated.