Class 8 Pupil Severely Beaten By Teachers, Video Sparks Uproar.
A video of a primary school student complaining about inhumane corporal punishment at his school for “poor performance’ has gone viral.
The student, who identified himself as a class 8 student at Nyamninia public day and boarding school in Yala township ward, Siaya county, was filmed recounting how he was severely whipped by two teachers for failing to score 400 points in an exam.
"Nimejaribu kuvumilia lakini hata ukivumilia ndio wanazidi kukuchapa (I tried to persevere, but the more I persevered, the more I was beaten”), the boy sobbed.
In 2001, the Ministry of Education prohibited corporal punishment in schools.
The act is unconstitutional and is prohibited by the Basic Education Act of 2013. However, the behavior persists in some schools.
The boy in the video stated that he was considering dropping out of school or, worse, ending his life because he could no longer bear the punishment.
“Nimevumilia 11 years in that school na mimi sasa nimechoka na mimi sasa nimechoka na mimi sa Afadhali sasa hata ujiue kuliko kufikiria vitu mingi (I persevered in that school for 11 years. "I’d rather die than think about a lot of things,” he said.
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The boy displayed the whipping injuries on his back and thighs in the undated video.
“Due to 400 marks, nachapwa hivi. I think I should be able to achieve what I have already gotten but now if they want to force 400 in me and I can’t achieve it what will I do?” he posed.
The boy narrating his ordeal to what appeared to be casual laborers on a construction site was dressed in socks but not shoes.
When asked what happened to his shoes, he explained that he ran and left them behind as the teachers summoned reinforcements to continue whipping him.
He stated that he has not known peace at the school since corporal punishment was instituted.
The boy went on to say that his situation has been exacerbated by the school’s inadequate food rations.
“Sijakula. Kama wamepakuwa na teacher anasema ati urudishe hiyo chakula ni mingi. Chakula ni tu kidogo hushibi, kiboko pia ndio hizo unagongwa tu saa zote.”
(I haven’t eaten anything. When the food is served, the teacher advises that it be reduced because it is excessive. The food is small, and whipping occurs frequently.)
Twitter users were outraged by the video, which included a section condemning the act.
While some said they had it worse in primary school, others called it a human rights violation and demanded harsh punishment for the teachers involved.
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Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has stated numerous times that no child should be required to repeat a class due to poor performance.
According to him, the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) was implemented primarily to break the habit of children cramming concepts solely for the purpose of passing exams rather than acquiring skills.
Class 8 Pupil Severely Beaten By Teachers, Video Sparks Uproar
