World News
Indian kindergarten student's death after teacher's slap renews debate on school corporal punishment
Authorities in Andhra Pradesh are investigating the collapse and fatality of a six-year-old boy as advocates highlight enforcement gaps in India's 2009 ban.
The short version
- Six-year-old Pranay Teja died in Visakhapatnam after collapsing shortly after his kindergarten teacher slapped him for allegedly failing to finish homework.
- Andhra Pradesh's School Education Department established a three-member committee to investigate the incident and announced plans for teacher sensitisation initiatives.
- India banned physical punishment in schools under the 2009 Right to Education Act, but advocates state the practice remains widespread due to weak statutory penalties and social inequality.
Key facts
- Six-year-old Pranay Teja collapsed and died after his kindergarten teacher slapped him in a Visakhapatnam private school.[Al Jazeera]
- Andhra Pradesh's School Education Department formed a three-member committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death.[Al Jazeera]
- India legally prohibited physical punishment and mental harassment in schools under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act of 2009.[Al Jazeera]
- A 2018 survey by the nonprofit Agrasar found that roughly 80 percent of surveyed low-income schoolchildren in Gurugram reported being beaten multiple times per week.[Al Jazeera]
What remains uncertain
- The exact medical cause of Pranay Teja's death remains pending final findings from the government inquiry.[Al Jazeera]