A Fort Wellington Secon-dary School teacher is now nursing injuries about his body after he was attacked and beaten by a student, the student’s uncle and several of his friends on Monday opposite the school.
Marlon Daniels, 20, of Number 28 Village, West Coast Berbice, sustained injuries to his hands, back, nose and head during the attack. Both of his cell phones were also damaged in the attack.
Commander of Region Five, Kurleigh Simon yesterday told Stabroek News that three persons were in police custody. The student is not in custody.
Daniels explained that on Monday he was revising with his class when a group of students outside of the classroom began using expletives.
He said he told the students who were peeping into his class to move from there and one student then cursed him. He then told the students to report to the headmistress’s (HM’s) office as he questioned what right they had to disrespect him.
At the HM’s office, it was discovered that the students were wearing belts not appropriate for school and as such they were upbraided and sent to their classes. The one student who used indecent language was scolded.
According to Daniels while in the HM’s office, the student began cursing the HM and another senior male teacher who was present. “He (student) said he ain’t want to hear nothing from y’all (teachers) and he would get people to deal with y’all (teachers).”
Daniels said at that stage the student exited the office and he went back to his classroom.
Shortly after that, the student returned with his uncle in search of Daniels but was upbraided by the HM who informed the uncle that he was not dressed appropriately for the school environment nor did he have a right to request to meet any teacher at the location. This apparently annoyed the uncle.
Around midday, Daniels exited the school compound to head to a printery located opposite the school to print out test papers for his students. He said about thirty minutes later he was attacked at the location by the student, his uncle and four other men.
“I was sitting and backing the road and the woman just about to staple my papers when his uncle come by the back and scramble my hands and there were four other friends along with the student punching me to my face, slapping me, and kicking me”, Daniels said.
He said he attempted to free himself but “one of them scramble me and pick up a scissor and try to bore me on my lower abdomen. I scramble the scissors and pelt it away. The uncle again scrambled me and the nephew picked up a steel they brought to beat me and started to lash me all about my body.”
According to Daniels, the men were also armed with pieces of wood during the attack. After the men eventually fled the scene, Daniels was assisted back to the school where he informed his colleagues about what had transpired.
Daniels yesterday told this newspaper that the police at the Fort Welling-ton Station, which is located a stone’s throw away from the school, were phoned when the student’s uncle first arrived at the school but they failed to show up until after the teacher was assaulted.
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand yesterday took to social media calling on the police to act swiftly. She said “There can be no reason offered that would be accepted as to why students or their relatives would beat a teacher.”
Daniels yesterday told Stabroek News that shortly after the incident Minister Manickchand personally reached out to him and offered the ministry’s full support.
The young teacher said that he along with other teachers believe that the child should be expelled from the public school system to send a stern message.
Additionally, the teachers attached to the Fort Wellington Secondary School held a peaceful protest outside of the school yesterday in support of Daniels.
