Phuket Teaching Assistant Suspended Over Child Hitting Allegation

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Phuket teaching assistant suspended over 'child hitting' allegation

Phuket Gazette

Prapan Kanprasang (left), chief of the Phuket Damrongtham Center (provincial ombudsman’s office) at Provincial Hall questions Ratkaphat Tonnum over her allegation of a teaching assistant hitting her 4-year-old son. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: -- A female teaching assistant at Koh Kaew Child Development Center has been suspended pending an investigation over a mother’s claim that the assistant slapped her 4-year-old son in the face.

Ratkaphat Tonnum, the 41-year-old mother of the student at the center of the incident, told the Phuket Gazette yesterday that she had originally filed a complaint with the Koh Kaew Tambon Administrative Organization (OrBorTor).

Having not heard of any progress, she filed a separate complaint with Prapan Kanprasang, the chief of the Phuket Damrongtham Center (provincial ombudsman’s office) at Provincial Hall.

Speaking to the Gazette, Ms Ratkaphat recounted the incident, which allegedly occurred on November 14.

“After my son had returned home from school I noticed a red mark on his cheek, like he had been slapped or something. I asked him what happened, but he kept quiet.

“After badgering him for about 20 minutes, he finally told me that he was slapped by a teaching assistant at school, causing him to fall off his chair,” Ms Ratkaphat explained.

“The assistant also told him not to tell anyone about it,” she added.

The child’s grandmother took it upon herself to go to the school to speak with the teaching assistant, who denied that she had hurt the child.

“My son told my mother that he does not want to go to school because he’s afraid of being hurt again. He also said that the assistant once locked him in the classroom,” said Ms Ratkaphat.

“I’m not after any compensation from the school. All I want is for the teaching assistant to admit that she was wrong and apologize,” she added.

In response to allegations of physical abuse, Koh Kaew OrBorTor council president Khuakiet Chitkhua told the Gazette that he had not ignored the complaint.

“I have tasked a committee to investigate. Until the allegation has been thoroughly investigated, the teaching assistant in question has been suspended from working at the school.

“If the allegation proves to be true, her employment will be terminated,” said Mr Khuakiet.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ticle19536.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-11-23

[lizardtongue]

If a teacher slapped my 4 yr child I am afraid that an apology/offer of money/dismissal would not be sufficient I would bring criminal charges!

[laurentbkk]

a slap on the butt would be more appropriate for a 4 years old kid ...

[Soupdragon]

a slap on the butt would be more appropriate for a 4 years old kid ...

Agree, never hit a child in the head, better yet never hit a child especially not in anger.

[Valentine]

Great, another committee. How are they going to investigate it? Get a bunch of scared kids to rat on the teacher, I think not. This is surely just the tip of the iceberg. Recently there was video showing a teacher belting a young kid over the head several times but there does not seem to be any follow up on this.

[Squigy]

I want to raise the point about kids not having their hair cut and the teacher comes along with the classroom scissors and cuts a piece of hair of the kids in the classroom in front of the rest of the class.

Next time that happens to my kids I will press charges against the teacher concerned.

[roiboss]

I want to raise the point about kids not having their hair cut and the teacher comes along with the classroom scissors and cuts a piece of hair of the kids in the classroom in front of the rest of the class.

Next time that happens to my kids I will press charges against the teacher concerned.

Your kid goes to the free school?

[klauskunkel]

I want to raise the point about kids not having their hair cut and the teacher comes along with the classroom scissors and cuts a piece of hair of the kids in the classroom in front of the rest of the class.

Next time that happens to my kids I will press charges against the teacher concerned.

Better yet, go to class and cut off a piece of the teacher's hair in front of the students...

[Keesters]

I want to raise the point about kids not having their hair cut and the teacher comes along with the classroom scissors and cuts a piece of hair of the kids in the classroom in front of the rest of the class.

Next time that happens to my kids I will press charges against the teacher concerned.

Your kid goes to the free school?

And what does the school being free or not got to do with it.

Forcing children who go to state schools to have extremely short hair while those who go to private schools can have hair of a reasonable length is wrong. I have known state school children be picked upon because of their short hair by so-called "richer" kids with longer hair.

[Keesters]

I want to raise the point about kids not having their hair cut and the teacher comes along with the classroom scissors and cuts a piece of hair of the kids in the classroom in front of the rest of the class.

Next time that happens to my kids I will press charges against the teacher concerned.

Better yet, go to class and cut off a piece of the teacher's hair in front of the students...

And be charged with assault making the case for charging the teacher with the same.

[dapsolapsalai]

I want to raise the point about kids not having their hair cut and the teacher comes along with the classroom scissors and cuts a piece of hair of the kids in the classroom in front of the rest of the class.

Next time that happens to my kids I will press charges against the teacher concerned.

I wouldn't wait until next time.

[stevenl]

I want to raise the point about kids not having their hair cut and the teacher comes along with the classroom scissors and cuts a piece of hair of the kids in the classroom in front of the rest of the class.

Next time that happens to my kids I will press charges against the teacher concerned.

Press charges, based on what? Physical abuse?

Sorry, you're in Thailand, not the USA anymore.

[Buckaroo]

Check what you are agreeing to when you enroll your children into a government school.

[Valentine]

Check what you are agreeing to when you enroll your children into a government school.

My kids were at one of the catholic schools where they were not shy on sparing the rod.

[Honkie]

I want to raise the point about kids not having their hair cut and the teacher comes along with the classroom scissors and cuts a piece of hair of the kids in the classroom in front of the rest of the class.

Next time that happens to my kids I will press charges against the teacher concerned.

So other kids have to obey the school rules on hair cut , but your spoilt brat doesn't need to , right ?

[Jimjim]

I want to raise the point about kids not having their hair cut and the teacher comes along with the classroom scissors and cuts a piece of hair of the kids in the classroom in front of the rest of the class.

Next time that happens to my kids I will press charges against the teacher concerned.

Press charges, based on what? Physical abuse?

Sorry, you're in Thailand, not the USA anymore.

Yep that would be making a serious mountain out of a molehill.

[HeavyDrinker]

When I were 4 I'd had more clips about the ear than I care to think about, especially when I'd do that leg cocking fart thing. .

[roiboss]

I want to raise the point about kids not having their hair cut and the teacher comes along with the classroom scissors and cuts a piece of hair of the kids in the classroom in front of the rest of the class.

Next time that happens to my kids I will press charges against the teacher concerned.

Your kid goes to the free school?

And what does the school being free or not got to do with it.

Forcing children who go to state schools to have extremely short hair while those who go to private schools can have hair of a reasonable length is wrong. I have known state school children be picked upon because of their short hair by so-called "richer" kids with longer hair.

I wanted to know was it a free school or not?