Investigation against abusive teacher ongoing

THE police's investigation into an abusive teacher who was secretly recorded verbally and physically abusing students at the Tranquillity Government Primary School are ongoing separate to those carried out by the Teaching Service Commission.

Police sources said that the Child Protection Unit is liaising with the Ministry of Education. The teacher has been removed from the classroom to an administrative role as she awaits a decision from the Commission as to what punishment, if any, will be meted out.

The voice recordings, shared extensively on social media, highlights the teacher verbally abusing students and later beating them. In one recording, the teacher is heard telling students to “go jump in front of a bus”. Later, she is heard issuing a death threat to a female student.

The persons in the voice note went on to say she wasn’t bothered by any disciplinary actions taken against her as she was prepared to “collect pay while on suspension for five years and then retire.”

On Monday, parents called on the authorities to remove the teacher whilst one parent expressed her frustration from the matter and concern for her child’s performance in the upcoming SEA examinations.

A day later, Education Minister Anthony Garcia toured the school and later told the media that this teacher poses a “threat to students” and he was left disappointed to know the level of indiscipline among both teachers and students at this school. Efforts to reach the teacher to hear her side of the story, via calls to her cellphone and WhatsApp messages, were futile.

On Saturday the Child Protection Unit asked that parents of the abused children visit the Belmont Police Station to make a report on the matter. The parent of the child who received the death threat told Newsday she made a report to the police on Monday.

TTPS public relations officer Supt Wayne Mystar told Newsday that over the last five days, several parents have lodged reports at the Child Protection Unit.