Saturday, 10th January 2009
Teacher hit by crayon risks losing sight in one of her eyes
The teacher who was poked in the eye with a crayon by a five-year-old student risks losing sight in the injured eye after her condition deteriorated.
The teacher, in her late 20s, could not be contacted yesterday but the president of the Malta Union of Teachers, John Bencini said that her eyesight had drastically deteriorated since the incident took place last October.
"Specialists have told her that the damage to her eye is irreversible and that she is in great danger of losing sight in the eye," said Mr Bencini.
The incident happened on October 27 when the infant hit his teacher in the eye with a crayon.
The union brought the incident to light and issued a public statement saying that a boy had "attacked" his teacher with a crayon and even called for the boy's suspension. However, the Education Department had reacted strongly, saying that by "no stretch of the imagination" could the incident be considered anything but an accident.
The boy is now back in school, helped by a learning support assistant. Mr Bencini said the young teacher is still in great pain and was traumatised by the incident. Yet, she has returned back to work and the boy in question is once again in her class.
The teacher has approached the union enquiring whether she has any legal basis to file for compensation.
"She has already forked out a lot of money for medical expenses and will be in for more if she needs to consult a foreign specialist," said Mr Bencini. After the authorities were alerted to incident, the Education Division ordered an evaluation process for the boy to assess his needs.
The principal of St Theresa College, Francis Fabri confirmed that the boy was attending school regularly and is still in the same class with the teacher.
Mr Fabri refused to comment saying he did not want to compromise the "delicate situation". "I think it's better not to say anything at this delicate time," he said.
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Comments
Last year a child broke me my glasses, by accident...accidents do happen
Your example with the palm tree borders on the ridiculous. Are you comparing a child with a plant? Besides no one here suggested that the child be 'destroyed!' What I suggest is to at least remove the child fom the teacher's class. How would you feel if you have to face the cause of the loss of your eye every day?
Teachers now are being victimised instead of treated with the respect that they deserve and had this teacher slapped the child or cuffed his ears she'd be in trouble. I urge the MUT to treat this case with the utmost seriousness.
We now have a society which allows the 'dictatorship of the child' where discipline is called 'abuse'. A good spanking never did anyone any harm - it was people like Dr.Spock who came in with all the balderdash that children should never be given corporal punishment. His son later went on to commit suicide.
If this teacher is still suffering badly why has she gone back to work?
What I didn't say,and what a lot of people here are suggesting is that this boy should be victimised. That's not on,accidents do happen and this was one unfortunate one.The boy,of course, must be told that what he did was wrong and that he must mind what he does in future.,but certainly no more than that.
Years ago I had an accident when a spiky palm scratched my eyeball and that was very painfull.Should I have destroyed that palm out of spite when it was my fault for getting so close to it?. I think not.
Little boys (and Girls) can be both little Angels and little Devils.
Seems that this one was one of the last.
No wonder our society is becoming by the day less responsable and more violent.
We are becoming like the UK. Something which we need to avoid at all costs.
Tollerance should have a limit.
Go on Mr Fabri, don't be shy. You weren't camera shy for Xarabank after all. Tell us, or is it perhaps too delicate a matter to answer the queries below? Why was the child only given a learning support assistant after the tragedy? YES TRAGEDY....definitely so for the young teacher. Why wasn't he assessed before it was too late? Of course it was accident, but one that could have been avoided. And why cause her further emotional stress by not changing the little boy's class? Please don't tell us that changing his class would have gone against his rights as a child. Actually I was thinking of this young teacher's children's rights. How sad it would be to have a mother that is partially sighted at such a young age. Enlighten us Mr Fabri please, cause from this side of the fence nothing is making sense.
The teacher's first claim should be against his parents and family not the education department. If his family do not have enough money then yes, she has to turn to the education department.
And may someone from the education please answer me whether they insure their staff and if not why considering that children now are more violent than ever and they are simply being told of their rights but not of their duties?
Is it because it is not those running the department but us who will pay through our taxes?
This is like when you have an accident with a government vehicle.
You will have to sue the other party because government vehicles are not insured.
This by a government that should lead by example.
Compulsory insurance should be paid by all including the government, bot for vehicles and accidents at work.
I cannot imagine what would have happened if this student injured another student instead. Would the education department call it an accident?? Most probably they would have blamed the teacher in that case.
Mr Fabri should give us answers on how this teacher is going to be compensated and not avoiding questions. After all he is responsible of the College.
It is a shame that the teacher will have to resort to a legal battle to be compensated. The education department should have compensated her immediately and not do nothing after 3 months
I'm not so sure the way teachers are treated. Teachers are considered as just numbers to be milked and dumped at the first opportunity. Whenever something happens in school it's always the teachers who get the blame. Take ths particular case. The child was kept in the same class. How would you feel if everyday you have to see the person who may cost you half your eyesight. Isn't that a kind of mental torture? Where is the mind let alone the heart in this decision?