'Students caned to guide them towards life goals'
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, February 09 2023: In response to an office memorandum issued by the Education (Schools) Department in connection with a viral video of a teacher caning some students, Enlighten Knowledge Higher Secondary School secretary Pangeijam Saratchandra said that he carried out the act in the parental spirit in order to guide the students towards their life goals and to make them good students.

He also announced to accept any penal action deemed fit by the government.

Addressing a press meet at the school's Sangakpham campus on Thursday, Saratchandra said that around 500 students of both arts and science stream are attending a residential coaching camp in the school in relation with the ensuing Higher Secondary Examination to be conducted by Council of Higher Secondary School.

Several teachers are being engaged in teaching the students and are also taking care of them day and night.

Many of the students, who were average in their academic performances, are scoring 95 to 96 per cent in in-house mock exams thereby creating potential of securing top ranks in the HSE 2023.Every year, students of the school have been securing most of the positions in the top 10 ranks and in last year's HSE, students of the school occupied 1st to 11th position in the Arts stream.

There are also similar potentials this year even in Science stream.

As such, the school organised a prize distribution ceremony on February 5 in order to encourage the students, he said.

Alongside, the school also organised a cleanliness competition for the students, in which students are ranked' based on the cleanliness maintained in their respective rooms.

After presenting cash awards to the toppers, the school authority called out some students, who were at the bottom, and gave them one light slap each with a stick on their palms while educating them about the importance of cleanliness in their lives.

The whole act was carried out in the true spirit of parental guidance in order to guide them towards life goals.

The action was not meant to harm the students and did not have any ill intentions, he clarified.

One of the school staff recorded the act and it went viral on social media.

One teacher, who might have recorded the incident, never came to the school after the incident though there is no issue in the school and none of the parents have raised any complaint.

All the students are continuing their study preparing for the examination.

The incident has been blown out of proportion on social media, Saratchandra opined.

He then termed as unfortunate that some local media reported the incident as a corporal punishment of the students even though one can easily perceive that the caning was not a severe one.

Some are even suggesting cancelling the recognition of the school, which is regretful as there had been many incidents of teachers caning students severely leaving bruises on the students while some institutes even had reports of death of students, and none of these schools were subjected to cancellation of recognition, he said.

The secretary then urged parents of students of the school as well as student organisations not to get disheartened or get carried away by the commotion on social media as the students are preparing for their examinations without any disturbances.

He further said that the school is all set to file an explanation to the education (S) department in response to the office memorandum and reiterated that he is ready to face any penal action as deemed fit by the department while adding that none of the teachers present on that day were involved in the act.

Saratchandra then said that he is disturbed by the way the confidential order of the education department went viral on social media, and appealed to the department officials to look into how the confidential matter got on social media.

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