Any teacher who “would carry a stick at school” should be referred to investigations, Minister of Education Moheb el-Refaie told directors of educational directorates in a Thursday news conference.
He assured during the conference that there should be officials of each education directorate in governorates present at schools on a daily basis.
Refaie’s instructions come after a number of violent incidents were reported during this month against students at schools.
Earlier this month, fifth grade grade student Islam Sherif, 10, died after his teacher punished him for not doing his homework by beating him to death. Sherif sustained severe head injuries and suffered a brain hemorrhage; he died at thehospital. The teacher was reportedly suspended and being investigated.
Education Minister El-Refaie described the assaulting teacher as “irresponsible” and said that beating is banned at schools. In his statements to Dream TV, he ensured that school principals would be also suspended for teachers’ assaults against students.
Earlier this week, a teacher of religious education was jailed pending investigations after beating a primary pupil and cutting a lock of her hair as punishment for not wearing a hijab.
An earlier incident has referred another teacher to investigations after she forced male students to wear hijab after they lost to a team of their female counterparts in a competition.
“I made him wear a scarf,” is a phrase used by some Egyptians to emphasize they humiliated or defeated another man, likening him to a woman.
In late 2014, at least two students killed at governmental schools due to what was reported as “poor school maintenance,” after the reasons for the deaths included a fallen school gate and a glass window.
