A disturbing incident at Cochin Public School in Thrikkakkara, Ernakulam, has prompted Kerala's Education Minister to order an investigation, according to a report by The News Minute. The case involves a 10-year-old Class 5 student who was allegedly subjected to harsh punishment for arriving just three minutes late to school on Thursday, August 14.
The young student claims he was forced to run two laps around the school ground before being isolated in a dark room. "They made me sit in a dark classroom and told me I wouldn't be allowed back to my own class," the boy told media outlets. The situation escalated when school authorities contacted his parents, informing them that their child would no longer be permitted to continue his studies at the institution.
The incident gained public attention after the boy's family, along with relatives and local social workers, brought the matter forward. Student organisations including the Student Federation of India (SFI) and Kerala Students' Union (KSU) organised protests on school premises, condemning what they termed a "heinous crime."
Education Minister V Sivankutty has directed the Ernakulam Deputy Director to conduct a thorough investigation and provide a detailed report. The education department has issued a stern warning to the school, stating that its No Objection Certificate (NOC) faces cancellation if similar incidents occur in the future.
School administrators have defended their actions, claiming that 8-10 students were late that day and all were required to jog two laps as per school policy. They dispute the dark room allegations, maintaining that the student was placed in a separate room under teacher supervision rather than outside the Principal's office. The school points to a rule in their diary requiring latecomers to complete three laps around the ground.
However, Minister Sivankutty questioned the authority behind such regulations, asking, "Who gave them permission to print such rules in the school diary? Making up regulations to suit their own preferences and punishing children as part of it is unacceptable."
SFI worker Ashiq criticised the school's handling of the situation, telling Mathrubhumi news that "separating the child from other students, making him wait in a dark room until his parents arrived, and the treatment of both the child and his parents by the school staff and administration are all deeply problematic."
The family has filed a formal police complaint against the school at Thrikkakkara police station. Following an inspection by the Deputy Directorate of Education, the school has received an official notice warning of NOC cancellation if such harsh disciplinary practices continue.