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thelem wrote:pics or it didnt happen.
So why couldnt the kid be lying??
I mean when i was younger i experienced some harsh disciplinary actions as well but wow.
The boy claimed that the incident was witnessed by another student who is expected to be interviewed by the police today.
)ismithx wrote:saxman642 wrote:Were it my kid, that teacher would've been very lucky to reach the police station to be questioned...
Bizzare wrote:I along with many others had worse embarrassing punishments in primary school on several occasions, but reporting to my dad would have made it worse......................... on me.
He mighta see this punishment as too little and fix me up with a proper cutarse for disobedience.
But then again I could be wrong about him cuz this kinda punishment seems a bit too shitty.
In primary school, I'd prefer a flush head over "lix" on ANY day
Sky wrote:Nice.
Can't punish delinquent kids with lix? Swirly idmc
Sky wrote:ismithx wrote:saxman642 wrote:Were it my kid, that teacher would've been very lucky to reach the police station to be questioned...
Is men like allyuh does let dey kids get away with all kinda shizz.
allyuh doh get tie up, parents have been involved in the aftermath of alleged abuse for ages...if and when d teacher wrong, dey wrong
saxman642 wrote:But don't tell me a teacher pushing a chile head down in a toilet bowl and flushing it on him is discipline!
~Vēġó~ wrote:saxman642 wrote:But don't tell me a teacher pushing a chile head down in a toilet bowl and flushing it on him is discipline!
Exactly...regardless of how ill-mannered or badly behaved a child may be perceived to be such an "alleged" action by the teacher could never be condoned nor justified!!!
color=#FF0000]Cops seek instructions from DPP to lay charges[/color]Published: Friday, January 27, 2012Geisha KowlessarGeisha Kowlessar
Published: Friday, January 27, 2012.
The principal of a popular private primary school in Maraval is facing possible attempted murder charges after allegedly flushing the head of a Standard Three pupil, who is an American citizen, in a toilet bowl. And Deputy Police Commissioner in charge of Operations, Jack Ewatski, yesterday promised a full and thorough investigation into the matter. The incident has also sparked concern among government officials who assured that the matter would be handled transparently. At yesterday’s post-Cabinet press briefing, Minister of Gender, Youth and Child Development Verna St Rose- Greaves announced that her ministry had already initiated its own investigation. “I heard of the incident and officials from my ministry are probing the circumstances as to what exactly happened,” she said. “The matter is of very serious concern and I am going to get to the bottom of what has happened.” Police officers who were in the process of compiling a file are expected to approach the Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard early next week for instructions.
The alleged incident has also sparked a high degree of outrage among parents of children attending the private institution, some of whom have charged that this was not the first time such an incident has occurred. The previous incidents were covered up by school officials, the parents claimed. Some parents who say they pay almost $4,000 school fee a term are contemplating removing their children from the school. Police sources said that after being interrogated at length, the principal gave pertinent information to investigators which they believed could be very helpful in bringing the probe to closure and for charges to be laid. Police described the incident as very serious, adding that the nine-year-old boy, who lived in a gated Maraval community, could have drowned while his head was submerged in the water of the toilet bowl.
Investigators also said they expected to receive a full statement from another pupil who witnessed the entire incident.
They maintained that the purported act was not committed by any teacher of the school, saying it was done solely by the principal. It was also reported that after his head was flushed in the toilet bowl, the boy was ordered to stand for three hours until class was dismissed.
In a telephone interview yesterday, the boy’s outraged father said he had immediately removed his son from the school and was in the process of enrolling him at another private institution. The father added that he had already initiated “full legal action” against the school’s authorities. He also expressed anger over a Newsday report which identified the child, despite being assured that the child’s name would be withheld. “My son went to the bakery yesterday morning and immediately he was identified as the boy whose head was in a toilet...all because of that newspaper report,” he said. “Why should my son go though that?...It’s as if my son is reliving the incident over and over again, because his name was exposed and as a child he should have been protected. He should not be made to be repeatedly humiliated,” the father added.
Asked how the child was coping yesterday, the father said despite the trauma and the embarrassment, he was “holding up pretty well.” “My son has been coping and he is more alert...He is very adaptable. “He’s doing better than the day before, given the trauma he went through. “He was really hurt when the incident happened, but he’s holding up as best as he can.”
Maintaining that he would leave no stone unturned in pursuing all legal avenues to obtain justice, the father said: “I owe it to my son to try.” Contacted yesterday, an official at the school said the principal was not in office and was unsure when or what time would she would return.
Minister: There will be consequences
Minister in the Ministry of Education Clifton de Coteau said yesterday that once the private institution was funded by the ministry, the principal would have no choice but to face the necessary consequences. “The situation will definitely be under investigation by the Education Ministry as it is a serious matter and I am sure that school supervisors have already begun doing their part,” he said. “And if the school is funded by the Ministry of Education, there would definitely be consequences that the individual would have to face, there is no doubt about that.” He added, however, that before any form of disciplinary action could be initiated, a thorough probe must be carried out and completed.
TTUTA: Justice must be served
The incident was also met with severe outrage by the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) who demanded that justice in the swiftest and severest manner must be meted out. “If this is true, then TTUTA abhors what transpired, to say the very least, said the organisation’s president Rouston Job yesterday. “I am totally dumfounded by what has been reported and TTUTA condemns the incident outright. How could such a thing happen? It is simply unbelievable.”
Job also said when such matters occurred, it raised the question about disciplinary procedures implemented in private primary schools. “These are schools where parents shell out a lot of money to ensure their child is educated and well cared for.” He said he was almost certain that the school in question was not a member of his organisation, hence very little action could be initiated by TUTTA. Job also expressed concern about the child’s mental condition, saying the incident could result in psychological scars. “The child would have not only endured mental anguish but also a high degree of embarrassment,” he said. “No child should undergo this. Justice must take it course. There must be no cover-up.”
Cops get confession statement from teacher
By NALINEE SEELAL Friday, January 27 2012
POLICE probing a report that a schoolteacher at Blackman’s Private School in Maraval placed the head of an eight-year-old school boy in a toilet and flushed it at the school’s compound on Monday afternoon have reportedly obtained a confession statement from a teacher.
Police sources revealed yesterday that the teacher spent several hours at the St Clair Police Station on Tuesday afternoon where a statement was given confessing to placing the student’s head in the toilet bowl and flushing it.
Minister of Education Dr Tim Gopeesingh immediately ordered a probe and said disciplinary action would be taken. Minister of Gender Affairs, Child Development and Youth, Verna St Rose-Greaves, said she would carry out her own investigations and offered support to the family.
The story was exclusively reported by Newsday yesterday. Sources revealed that in the statement to the police the teacher reportedly admitted to doing the same thing to another student of the school but that student was not identified.
The parents of that child have not come forward or reported the matter to the police. However, following the confession statement given by the teacher to Woman Police Corporal Ferrette at the St Clair Police Station on Tuesday, police officers cautioned the teacher following which Justice of the Peace Marissa Singh, authenticated the statement.
Police officers also interviewed Kaya Rullow, the student who was the alleged victim of the assault who was accompanied to the station by his mother. The boy who is a standard three student of Blackman’s Private School was taken back to his school’s compound on Tuesday where he pointed to the toilet where his head was placed in a toilet bowl and flushed. He was also medically examined at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital and a medical report submitted to Ferrette.
Police sources revealed that Ferrette has to seek permission from the lone eyewitness to the incident before a statement is recorded from him. The boy who was also subjected to the same flushing of his head in the toilet bowl never told his parents about the incident but instead informed other classmates about what had transpired and this resulted in him and Rullow being taunted and called “toilet boys”.
Newsday understands that after the eyewitness is interviewed Ferrette will then submit a file to the Senior Superintendent of the Port-of-Spain Division for directions in the matter. Education Minister Tim Gopeesingh told Newsday yesterday that he has instructed that investigations begin immediately in the matter.
He said the principal of the school Arlene Blackman, 67, as well as the school supervisor for the area will report to the Chief Education Officer Sharon Mangroo to give an account of the incident. Gopeesingh described the incident as totally unacceptable.
“This type of behaviour by teachers cannot be tolerated and disciplinary action has to be taken,” he said. Gopeesingh said it was unfortunate that the ministry had to learn about the incident through the media.
“It is unacceptable and it shows that the school supervisors are not doing their work properly. The school supervisor has to be held accountable because if an incident occurs on the same day a report should be submitted to the ministry and it is clear, that is not happening,” he said.
St Rose-Greaves, yesterday vowed to do her own probe of the incident .
She told yesterday’s post-Cabinet news conference at the Diplomatic Centre that she had not yet got details of the incident. “I have not seen the report unfortunately. I don’t have the details. One of my officers is trying currently to get some background on that,” said St Rose-Greaves.
“Any incident like that is unfortunate, and I’m sure it would have been reported to the authorities, and whatever action is necessary will be taken. From where I am, I am going to have my own investigation and do whatever we can whether it is to support the family, to help the child over this, to make some intervention in the school, to get to the bottom of what’s been happening.”
Police officers of the St Clair Police Station were informed on Monday afternoon by Parvar Rullow, the child’s father that when he went to pick up his son at the school the child told him that his head was placed in a toilet bowl and flushed.
The disturbed father made an official report to the St Clair police and this prompted a police investigation into the matter. Yesterday at Blackman’s private school classes were not disrupted, but the principal was reportedly not at school when Newsday visited. However, Martin Blackman, son of the principal said the matter was now engaging the attention of lawyers and was at a sensitive stage and he preferred that lawyers communicate with the press on the matter.
He promised that a statement on the incident would be released yesterday afternoon but up to press time this was not forthcoming. When Newsday spoke with parents collecting their children yesterday afternoon they said their children did not inform them about the incident and neither were they briefed by the principal of the school.
Young Rullow, who is an American citizen has been deeply affected by the incident but according to his father is a strong boy. Newsday understands that an official report on the incident is to be made to the American Embassy on Marli Street, Port-of-Spain
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