Saturday, March 24, 2018

14-yr-old boy slashes neck of ex-tuition teacher, 60

TIMES NEWS NETWORK   24.03.2018

Chennai : A Class IX student slashed the throat of a 60-yearold teacher on Friday afternoon. The boy went with a knife to his former tutor’s place at Veppampattu, around 37km west of Chennai.

Police apprehended the 14-year-old student. They are yet to establish a motive but said the boy carried out the assault on Ambika Anand two months after she expelled him from tuition classes.

Doctors said Ambika, who received eight stitches on her throat, was out of danger. Friday’s case left school administrators and teachers dismayed: It was the latest in a string of deadly attacks on teachers by juvenile students in Chennai and nearby since the February 2012 murder of Uma Maheshwari by a 15-year-old student at a school in Parry’s.

Boy brought kitchen knife from home to stab teacher

An investigating officer said Ambika continuedtohelp the boy even after banishing him from the tuition classes she took in her house in Veppampattu.

“On Friday, the boy, who lives in the same locality in Tiruvallur district, caughttheteacher off guard,” the officer said. “When she let him into the house, she did not know that he had a concealed kitchen knife that he had carried from home.”

The boy entered as usual, saying hehad some doubtsin mathematics that he wanted her to clarify for him. After Ambika asked him sit down, the boy suddenly pulled out the knife and rushed at her. Putting one hand over her mouthto gag her, he stabbed her in the head and slashed her throat. Ambika managed to shout for help but it was too late: Within seconds, the boy escapedfrom thescene, leaving her prone on the floor and bleeding profusely.

“A few neighbours heard Ambika scream and took her to the nearest hospital,” the officer said. “Doctors there gave her emergency first aid and had her taken to Tiruvallur Government Hospital.”

“Vellavedu inspector Nagalingam and a few other policemen apprehended the student,” he said. “The boy was evasive when we questioned him, but admitted that he was upset that she had kicked him out of the tuition class.”

The boy told investigators that Ambika had told his friends that he was so dismal academically that teaching him was a close to impossible task.

“It appears that this upset the boy very much,” the officer said. “We are still questioning him to see if he had any other motive.”

Teachers and heads of schools in the city said recurring cases of violence by juvenile students had become more than a just another disturbing criminal trend.

MCC Matriculation School principal Revathy Bonns wondered if “the worrisome pattern” could be connected to the fact that “teachers are increasingly scaredto reprimand” students.

“A few years ago, a student threatened one of our teachers when she reprimanded him for not turning in his assignment,” Bonns said. “Children appear to be unable todeal withcriticism or rejection in ahealthy way. It reminds me of acid attackcases, when scorned men unable to handle rejection, angrily take out [their frustration].”

A teacher at Vidya Mandir said multiple factors, including a student’s socio-economic background and family circumstances and values, could trigger such attacks.

“Maybeschoolsshouldinvestin providing students with counsellors who are non-judgmental and help the students cope with their emotions,” she said.

Shree Niketan Group of Schools, Thiruvallur, correspondent P Vishnucharan suggestedthat, in many cases, the violence that some students exhibit could “stem from the family-level”.

“[This happens when] parents don’t take action when required,” he said. “As a result, children are not equipped to deal with criticism.”

In a larger context, he said, an increase in crime in general could also be playing an influence, making children believe that violenceis not unusual any longer in society and so, perhaps, is not wrong in itself.

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