Another case of violence involving a kindergarten teacher in a well-known Bangkok school has come to light following damning video evidence.
The footage – cut from the original 16 minute long version – shows a teacher and her assistant doing an art class with kindergarten students who are sitting on the floor.
The teacher assaults a boy several times with hits to the head and is seen treading and stamping on the child as she walks past.
The footage is blurred to protect identities but it can be seen that the little boy is confused and distressed by what has happened to him.
The poster “Dr.K v.3” said that it was an art class and that the teacher had spoken rudely as well as assaulted the student. The footage was recorded last year and the poster wanted the parents to come forward so that action could be taken. They said that the teacher was still employed there.
Reporters contacted the school – that was not named – and were told that the teacher had gone home and that the director was not available for an interview as he was in a meeting.
The video was shared 20,000 times online as viewers slammed the teacher’s behaviour.
Last week two students were tied up and blindfolded by two teachers at a kindergarten saying they did it to help aid concentration. They paid parents 40,000 baht in compensation.
Last year saw regular cases of assault on children of all ages with one case making the national news after a girl was disfigured when a teacher threw a coffee mug at her because she was not paying attention.
This is another disturbing case and once again it involves very young children. No child,regardless of age, should have to endure a physical assault. But it is even more worrying when it happens to such small children who have no way of standing up for themselves.
This is not about whether corporal punishment should be allowed in schools, that is a difficult and emotive topic. This is about cowardly attacks on small children.
Banning all forms of corporal punishment in schools can lead to problems, as seen in the UK. However, how and why it is administered and the age of the children involved has to be handled very carefully. (if indeed it should happen at all)
(Source:Daily News)