The death of 14-year-old Md. Ismail Hussain of Royal Embassy School on Thursday has once again brought the school into the spotlight for an ignominious reason. Last month, school principal Syeda Minhaz Unisa was jailed temporarily after she failed to prevent molestation of a minor girl by some of the male students on the school premises. The death of a student due to corporal punishment has raised further questions about the management of the school.
Talking to this newspaper, a parent, on condition of anonymity, said corporal punishments were a routine in the school. He said that his son was also severely beaten a few days back, but he hadn’t gone to the authorities, as he thought that it was the only way teachers could enforce discipline. However, he said he has been worried ever since he learnt of Ismail’s death.
Meanwhile, police is waiting for the post-mortem results to initiate further action. Royal Embassy School remained closed on Friday and principal Syeda Minhaz Unisa was not available for comment. It is important to note that 237 cases of corporal punishment have been registered in Hyderabad in the current academic year alone. The Andhra Pradesh Child Rights Organisation is demanding the de-recognition of the school and dismissal of the DEO, saying that the DEO has failed to take steps to curb corporal punishments in the city, even after repeated appeals. However, these figures are but the tip of the iceberg, said the director of APCRO, as many incidents of corporal punishments go unreported.