‘They were aggressive, reluctant to go to school’, say parents of children mistreated in playschool

On Tuesday, the two teachers were booked under Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection Children) Act, 2015. One of them moved court with an anticipatory bail plea on Thursday.

The students, who are not currently attending the playschool, have been told by their parents that their school is shut for holidays.

Speaking to The Indian Express, the complainant, the father of one of the children, said: “My son had become more aggressive.” He added that last December, he noticed that his two-year-old son would hit his parents, grandparents and even strangers who approached him.

“Initially, we attributed it to immaturity. However, when the aggression persisted, we approached other parents of the playgroup, who spoke of similar experiences.”

Some parents even observed that their children were reluctant to go to school. Another parent said, “Earlier, my child would love sifting through books and had a very curious temperament. But lately, he has started throwing books.”

The playschool had been functional since last September, teaching children in two groups.

The two accused were teaching a group that had 28 toddlers in the age group of two and two-and-a-half years. They were managed by two teachers and one helper.

The complainant said parents approached the teachers of the other group to check whether there was a particularly violent student, who was influencing others. “The thought that a teacher could be doing something like this did not even cross our minds,” he added.

When the CCTV footage was scanned, the mistreatment came to light. When confronted, one of the accused denied the allegations while the other pleaded that she thought this was the usual manner in which playgroups operated.

It must be noted that when it comes to playschools of children younger than the age of three, there are no prescribed rules and regulations.

Swati Popat Vats, president of Early Childhood Association (ECA), said, “Even the new National Education Policy guidelines cater to children starting from age three. However, when it comes to children under the age of three, there is still a dichotomy as to which department will look after them. In such a situation, it is essential for parents to be more careful and make informed decisions.”

In the wake of the incident, the ECA has issued a set of separate guidelines for parents and school owners. Vats said, “Our advisory mentions that parents must look into qualifications when choosing a pre-school. Often they tend to entrust
their children in the care of unqualified people because they find it cheap. However, they must consider that it is better that money pinches your pocket than somebody pinching your child.”

“All staffers in playschools should sign the ‘zero tolerance’ policy, including ayaahs, bus drivers and cleaners, so that they know that if they mistreat children, they will be punished not only by schools but also be reported to the law. Finally, parents must also inquire about the place before enrolling the children,” she added.

Chandrakanta Pathak, Principal of Marine Lines’ HVB Global Academy, spoke about the need for creating awareness. “We need to understand that abuse of children can happen anywhere. It’s not necessarily in schools but also in their homes. Report after report has shown that children are abused by someone they know. Both girls and boys are vulnerable and it’s essential that we keep building awareness.”