Malaysian girl taken to ICU after being forced to run 30 laps at school as punishment

May 20, 2022

A Malaysian teenager was reportedly rushed to an intensive care unit after being forced to run 30 laps around a volleyball court as a class punishment for not finishing assigned homework.

On May 11 at the Foon Yew High School in Kulai, Johor, in Malaysia, a physical education teacher punished an entire class by forcing them to run around a volleyball court 30 times for not completing their homework. All of the students were also required to keep their masks on while running.

The 15-year-old girl began to feel ill after the 15th lap and was given permission to walk the remaining laps. When she arrived home, her heart reportedly started to beat rapidly, and she was rushed to the hospital where she went into shock. Her heart rate was measured at 200 beats per minute.

In a now-deleted Facebook post, the girl’s mother explained that when she confronted the school, they brushed the incident off and told her that “the issue had been settled.” She also claimed that the school denied forcing the students to wear their masks during the punishment.

“My daughter went into shock for several seconds, it’s not a small matter. My daughter told me before that the teacher had asked the class to wear their masks even when exercising, except if they are feeling unwell,” the girl’s mother wrote per Asia One. “If my daughter was lying, then why did the whole class have their face masks on when running?”

After writing about the incident and the school’s reaction on Facebook, the girl’s parents were called to a meeting on May 18 where the school’s principal, Ng Fui Choo, and the teacher involved gave a formal apology. The girl’s mother shared a photo to Facebook of her and her husband making amends with the teacher and Ng while stating that they would not be pursuing an investigation.

“Under the coordination of the Prince City Council of Mawaras, Scheda, bless the two parties [who] reached an understanding and communication of the incident,” the girl’s mother wrote on Facebook.

The girl’s parents have submitted a health letter to the school excusing her from participating in future intensive physical activities. She will also be allowed to use the elevator instead of the stairs at school, and the physical education teacher will be monitoring her health.

Featured Image via Wikimedia Commons

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