Disclaimer: This article contains details of physical abuse and mental harassment that can be disturbing for some. Viewer discretion advised.
Harassment or bullying of any kind by any person is a social evil that needs to bid us adieu ASAP. While you might have heard stories of abuse and harassment by the other sex, friends, family, or colleagues, the rise in the number of abuse by school teachers is appalling.
Earlier, Chennai school students accused a teacher of sexual harassment.
Now, social media personality and comedian Aanchal Agrawal shared a string of tweets revealing several instances of abuse she faced from teachers in her school.
She opened up the conversation by sharing how in school, teachers often called her ‘gandi machli’ and shamed her in the class. Now that she has become famous, the same teachers direct message her to establish contact.
In school teachers often called me ‘gandi machli’ and shamed me in the class by saying “ek gandi machli pure talab ko ganda kar deti hai”, what could a 10 year old possibly do to face such ridicule? Talk?
Happy to report those teachers now DM me to establish contact.
— Aanchal Agrawal (@awwwnchal) December 21, 2021
I have many nightmarish stories from school and college, stories about things that were done to me, stories about things that were done to others. I know you all have them too, how unfortunate is that? Adults outing their insecurities on children, there’s nothing worse that that.
— Aanchal Agrawal (@awwwnchal) December 21, 2021
Sharing several episodes of abuse by teachers, she wrote:
Some teachers were so awful to me I still think what I had I done to face that? A teacher once sarcastically asked entire class who is friends with Aanchal when I was in 7th, understandably most didn’t raise hands who wants to offend a cruel teacher like that, [1/3]
— Aanchal Agrawal (@awwwnchal) December 21, 2021
I dropped my pencil box and went under the bench to collect it so I avoid seeing the results, 2 of my friends did raise their hand as they didn’t care about the teacher much. Later she laughed that no one considers me a friend, I burst into tears. [2/3]
— Aanchal Agrawal (@awwwnchal) December 21, 2021
She further penned that the trauma that came with the physical abuse she faced never subsided.
Math was my favourite subject, I was scoring well in until class 7th when my teacher was replaced and the person who filled in made us kneel on concrete and beat us on our palms with a stick, my parents got him fired immediately but the trauma remained and I never enjoyed math.
— Aanchal Agrawal (@awwwnchal) December 21, 2021
She concluded her lengthy and heartfelt thread by alleging that our education system deprives students of the space to grow.
I turned out alright because my parents are very chill people, but most parents carry fear of the future instilled by the society and socio-economic scenario of the world. Students need space to grow and exposure to resources, our education system deprives them of it.
— Aanchal Agrawal (@awwwnchal) December 21, 2021
Soon after, several people shared similar cases of abuse by their teachers.
A follower shared her trauma in DM, such cruel shaming of a child, how vile one has to be to put an innocent life through this, so upsetting. How do these so called humans go on living their life (supposedly with societal respect)? We need to eradicate this monstrosity. READ. pic.twitter.com/Slv5WyxHw5
— Aanchal Agrawal (@awwwnchal) December 21, 2021
A follower shared her trauma in DM, such cruel shaming of a child, how vile one has to be to put an innocent life through this, so upsetting. How do these so called humans go on living their life (supposedly with societal respect)? We need to eradicate this monstrosity. READ. pic.twitter.com/Slv5WyxHw5
— Aanchal Agrawal (@awwwnchal) December 21, 2021
I was always the class topper but class 8 my marks were bit low (still the topper) and the head teacher in front of ENTIRE assembly:
“Keshav ko ghamand ho gaya hai”
I don’t have any bad feelings about the teacher but looking back, these things hurt.
— Keshav Jindal (@Keshavatearth) December 21, 2021
I was insulted in my 5th standard class in front of entire class and also in the staff room full of teachers for the fault I did not do. Also I was beaten by the same Sir outside the class.
But I didn’t cry. The anger inside me grew so much, I punctured his tyres every 3rd day.😌— Grasshopper🦗 (@GrasshopperMoth) December 21, 2021
A chemistry teacher of mine used to hit my knuckles with iron scale for just uttering a word in her class….she openly showed her hate towards me when one day she decided to hit me for my whole class….my hands were bleeding and I couldn’t write for days.
— Ashu Tomar 🇮🇳 (@ashutomarbhan) December 22, 2021
When I was in 8th, during the exam a girl was sitting next to me and I don’t remember which class she belonged to maybe 5/6th.
Teacher found some mistake in her answersheet which made him angry and he slapped her really hard.— paresh (@tripathiparesh) December 22, 2021
I was insulted by a teacher in front of the whole school during assembly just because he had a problem with “Christian kids”
— Sheen ✨ (@SuchAMisfit) December 21, 2021
I was the ‘keeda’ who spoiled the apple cart, ‘kutte ki pooch jo kabhi seedhi nahi hogi’ & what not🤣, the way they bullied & shamed the academically weak students🤬 was abhorrent, one of our teacher was ostracized by the faculty beacuse she preferred to nurture the kids 1/
— 0ompal00mpa (@s000Depressed) December 22, 2021
I was slapped and humiliated in 6th grade when I failed to answer a question. The teacher dragged me to 5th grade and asked me to sit there as I was not fit for 6th grade. That Incident scarred me. I was good at mugging things and hence I memorised all the book by heart.
— #ArtetaOut (@Artetaoutnow) December 22, 2021
There was a teacher who didn’t like me idk y … Even my slightest movement would become a excuse to taunt me infront of the entire class , I can feel u, Made me stand for one whole class whn I said I was ill , she told the class I was telling a lie … 😣 and many more incidents
— Cupcake ✨ (@cold_coffee2578) December 21, 2021
In 10th std my teacher in convent school would slap hard and take his belt out and hit us after asking questions, every student was terrified of him, i don’t have any I’ll feeling towards him though, he did it out of genuine care. But man the fear was real.
— S (@__SA__24) December 22, 2021
He just wanted me to go to him for tuition like half of the class but I never did. His teaching method was average and I couldn't understand half of the stuff he taught. He took out that anger on me taking full recess time. My classmates had to kneel down so long for this. (2/n)
— Redbeard (@mrredbeardOO7) December 22, 2021
Reading the numerous stories just makes me furious. You see, so many of them still remember the cruelty they faced as kids. It must have affected their mental health badly.
There is a thin line between keeping the kids disciplined and torturing them mentally and physically.