Violence on the rise in Bahrain schools, reports say
Manama : School is supposed to be a safe haven where kids can go to build their future without fearing for their safety or concerns of being harassed. Even though the authorities strive to keep things that way latest reports indicate that violence does find their way into classrooms and school grounds.
Media reports say that the incidents of physical and psychological violence, by fellow students or teachers, are being reported in far greater numbers, with at least four cases surfacing in October alone.
Most disturbing was the involvement of elementary schools in such cases. In the first incident, a teacher, who is supposed to protect students, simply teamed up with his son, also a student in the same school, to attack a student. And in another, more disturbing, incident a primary stage student, who suffers from learning difficulties, was left ‘under scorching sun’ for hours by a teacher, apparently to teach him a lesson or two.
Education Ministry intervened. They, however, chose not to name the schools but launched a probe. The ministry affirmed to take “all necessary administrative and legal procedures.”
On October 19, a Bahraini mother pleaded for help saying that her two-year-old daughter was seriously injured inside campus and the private nursery school deliberately hid the incident from her.
Labour and Social Development Ministry, in charge of monitoring preschools, intervened this time. They announced an investigation and promised stern action.
However, the next incident reported on October 20 said that even more is required to stop campus violence.
In a brawl, erupted in a school bus several students were injured. The incident came to public notice when one of the students concerned parent shared bloody pictures of her son who was involved in the fight.
The worried mother questioned the role of the ministry in monitoring private educational establishments and its responsibility in ensuring students’ safety.
Without wasting time, the ministry formed a team and warned the school management for failing to comply with safety measures.
The absence of female supervisors on school buses was one of the issues noticed. The ministry, in a statement, made clear: “If the supervisor is absent for any reason, she should be replaced by another qualified person, in accordance with the instructions of the ministry.”
The school “bears the full legal responsibility for what happened,” the ministry said.
However, the incidents followed continued to prove that even after installing strong regulatory measures, violence against students is on the rise.
The absence of more than 30 girls from a school was the next issue. The reason: They were afraid of their teacher.
According to an Arabic daily, second-grade students of Um Al Qurra Primary and Intermediate Girls School in Maameer refused to attend classes as an “objection to their teacher’s violent behaviour”.
The report claimed that the teacher verbally abuses the students, stops them from going to the restroom during her class and force them to stand for long hours.
Public Relations and Information Directorate in the ministry later denied the incident. Investigation results rubbished the claims and requested parents to file complaints through its hotline.
However, the same publication quoted the parents as saying that they are not happy with the results of the investigation and that they demand to meet the investigative panel formed by the ministry to discuss their daughters’ complaints.
All these incidents simply point to the fact that parents’ worry about the safety of their children’s while at school might not just be overprotective.
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