Teachers and, by extension, schools are meant to be the people with whom and places where children can learn, grow, and make mistakes without any serious consequences as they’re supposed to feel like a safe space.
Unfortunately, not all teachers are deserving of their title, as we know from past reports of them mistreating students by giving inappropriate punishments.
Just yesterday, 1 Media reported that a Form 1 student in Butterworth claimed that she was asked by a teacher to kneel and lift up her arms during an assembly on Tuesday (November 1, 2022) for wearing shoes with velcro straps.
For illustration purposes only
The teacher allegedly also cut off her holy string around her wrist and ordered her to remove her pottu as well as the holy ash from her forehead.
According to the 13-year-old, the teacher told her off because her shoes weren’t standard.
“I told my teacher that I could not afford to buy new shoes because my father doesn’t have money for it,” she said.
Take it to court
Consequently, prominent human rights lawyer Siti Kasim expressed that the case should be brought to court to teach teachers like these a lesson.
She urged the student and her parents to take up her offer of helping them take legal action.
“We are not going to ask (you) to pay because this is a strategic litigation,” she said in reference to the need to separate religion and government.
She said that the teacher, the school and the government can be sued for assault, battery, negligence and breach of statutory duty.
“They cannot think that they can get away with doing this,” she said passionately, adding that “there is something wrong with our systems and with the people teaching in our schools.
Watch the full video below:
LET'S DO THIS!! pic.twitter.com/5NyjBu8HEm
— Siti Kasim (@sitikasim) November 3, 2022
Is legal action too extreme or should the teacher be taught a lesson?
Also read: Student in Indonesia Dies After Being Punished by ‘Soaking’ in Fish Pond for 5 Minutes
