Head Teacher Who Knelt 8 Year Old Child On Concrete Floor One Hour In Trouble

A deputy head teacher who made an eight year old pupil to kneel on concrete floor for an hour has landed in trouble.

The eight year old was allegedly found playing around the school garden, and was ordered to kneel on the bare concrete floor during a sunny afternoon.

The pupil sustained injuries carrying out the punishment.

Police at Nselema in Machinga has arrested the deputy head teacher identified as Rafael Chikabwereza, according to reports from Malawi24

Station Officer-in-Charge of the police station, Bostones Amanzi told the local media that the abuse happened on 26 October.

“Chikabwereza made the boy kneel for over one hour, on a bare concrete floor during a sunny afternoon after being found playing around the school’s garden which resulted in serious bruises and burns around his knees,” a report on the incident said..

This comes amidst a report last September by the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) asserting that though despite being well structured, that the Malawi’s child protection system had its own issues.

It identified neglect, exploitation, abuse, and violence, as some of the issues of concern confronting children in Malawi.

It states for example, that 38 per cent of girls in Malawi are married before 18, and 9 per cent before 15).

Sexual abuse, physical abuse, mental abuse, and corporal punishment in school.

“Children in Malawi face abuse at home, in the community, in schools, and even in hospitals.

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“In some cases, even the caregivers who are supposed to protect the children take advantage of them sexually or physically abuse them”, the UNICEF added.