The Ghana Education Service (GES) says it has started investigations into the case of a teacher assaulting a nine-year-old pupil who criticised the taste of her ‘sobolo’ drink.
Jonathan Korsinah, the Nkwanata South Education Director, said it was an unfortunate development and they will get to the bottom of the incident.
“We have warned all teachers that our policies do not allow them to cane the pupils. We have told them it is an abuse to use a cane on any pupil,” he told Adom News’ Obrempongba Kwame Owusu.
A pupil at Nkwanata South M/A Redeem Basic School of the Oti region was canned to the point of injury for criticising the ‘sobolo’ drink her teacher was selling in the school.
The pupil (name withheld) sustained multiple injuries on her body as she was severely beaten by her class teacher whose name was given only as Madam Magdalene.
The student was physically assaulted last week Friday after she complained to a friend in the school that the popular sobolo drink sold by their class teacher was not sweet.
The student said even the intervention of a Primary 2 class teacher who chanced on the assault did not convince Madam Magdalene to stop beating her.
The pupil claims the teacher also said unsavoury things about her mother.
Isha Razak, mother of the nine-year-old, said she is pained and does not understand why the teacher keeps inflicting pain on her ward.
According to her, the teacher takes delight in assaulting her daughter even for making little mistakes in class.
Offering his apologies, the Nkwanata South Education Director said the teacher is in the wrong for what she did to the pupil.
Jonathan Korsinah said there are several options the teacher could have used to correct the pupil and not going overboard.
According to him, they have contacted the child’s parents and has ensured that the pupil has undergone medical check-up.
The pupil said she does not want to go back to the Nkwanata South M/A Redeem Basic School so Mr Korsinah says the Service is working on getting her transferred to another school.
Mr Korsinah said for now he cannot say what punishment will be meted out to the teacher until they finish their investigations.
