Team Herald
MARGAO: The ex-students of Loyola High School and the Parent Teachers Association of the school together have appealed to the public to let the law take its own course in the matter of the alleged beating of a student of the school.
Erlick Pereira President of Loyola Ex-Students Association said it was upsetting to see how the reputation of the school was sought to be tarnished with misinformation and false propaganda. Asserting that truth would prevail, he urged all not to react to the propaganda on social media.
Speaking on behalf of the teachers, Belinda Jacques admitted that the education department had visited the school to investigate the matter and said they spoke to the principal and also the teacher who was in the class at the time of the purported incident.
“The Education Department officials sought to know why the student’s school calendar was with the principal and they were told that the boy’s parents who were asked to come to school have not come to collect it as yet,” she said adding that the usual practice is that whenever any complaint is made against a student, his calendar is kept in the school and the parents are asked to meet the principal.
Admitting that the student has resumed classes, she said his parents have not yet reported to the principal or to the class teacher. “As the student was absent for more than 3 days, he has been asked to get a medical certificate,” she said.
She admitted that the streak of naughtiness amongst children sometimes crosses the limit and it becomes difficult to admonish the child and hence parents are called over and stressed the need for parents and teachers to work together for overall development of the child.
She said discipline has been the hallmark of the Jesuits who are teaching around 1.5 lakh students in the country through their 93 high schools and 17 colleges.
Pointing out that PTA is always available for any parent having any problem, PTA member Lyndon da Silva said that the child’s parents have not contacted the PTA till date and that the PTA would never support corporal punishment.
