When a Student Hurled Brick on a Teacher !!!

I was on an inspection tour to a school in  Keylong. On 2^rd September 2018, after spending 2 days in breathtaking beautiful landscape of Lahul and Spiti, we were on our way back to Manali. I got a call from the Senior Most Teacher of my school in Chandimandir Cantt. exactly when we were about to cross Rohtang Pass. She apparently was exasperated and wanted to discuss something urgently.

She said that a student of Class X had hurled a brick on a teacher who very narrowly escaped the attack which would have even been fatal. She further added that the boy had been sent to his home along with a sub –staff and the parents had been informed to come to school on 4^th September 2018. The targeted teacher was in a shock.

It was a grotesque incident. During my teaching career I had never heard any such incident taking place in my schools.

I joined my school back on 4^th September 2019.The teacher on whom the brick was hurled was  eagerly waiting for me to join school. She was all in her tears and wanted expulsion of the student from the school- nothing less. I could smell that all teachers of my school, due to this incident, had made up their mind not to celebrate Teachers’ day on 5^th September. They had taken it as an attack on the teaching fraternity.

By this time the parent, who was an Army personnel, had also reported in the school along with his spouse and his son. I called them to my office. When I looked into the eyes of this boy I could realize instantly that he was not a normal child. He appeared to have some psychic issue and did not blink his eyes. He did not reply to any of my questions. The parents were also grim and silent. Then I asked his father whether he was under some treatment in some hospital. Tears rolled down from his eyes as he replied in the affirmative. They were extremely apologetic on the behaviour of their son.

They had also come to know that teachers wanted expulsion of their son. I allowed the parents to take their son back and also asked them to produce all medical documents pertaining to his ailment. I spoke to the students of his class who said that he was an introvert and would hardly speak to his class fellows.

During recess I called all teachers in front of my office. I asked them about their preparations of the celebrations of Teachers’ Day. Most of them were silent then a leader erupted.  “It seems that there is no respect for teachers in this school. And now a teacher is being attacked! We will not celebrate Teachers’ Day if this boy is not expelled!” a lady teacher blurted.

Maintaining my cool, I asked all those teachers to raise hands who felt that they were not respected in the school. They started to look at each other. Then after a gap another teacher partially raised her hand.

Thereafter I explained them the trauma being experienced by the parents of this boy. I further informed the teachers about the medical condition of the boy who was under deep psychological stress. I said that the boy would have even hit his mother or father at the time of psychological fit. I assured the staff that I would take the child back only after he would be declared medically fit.

With this the teachers understood the problem and stood by my side. Next day we celebrated Teachers’ Day with full participation of teachers and students. The boy went under regular treatment. And this year in the month of April I readmitted that boy who is now studying in Class X. I frequently meet him and his parents. He has happily joined the main stream.

And I am soooooooooooooooooo happy!!