Kendrapara: A student at a government-run primary school at Marshaghai block of Kendrapara district suffered corporal punishment for sleeping in class on Saturday.

Furious at finding the Class III student dozing off, the accused teacher Basanti Das beaten Sushant Das, 8, with a cane so badly that he has ended up in a hospital. The kid has sustained injuries to his head.

A probe has been ordered into the alleged incident of corporal punishment, an official said.

Kailash Das, the father of the injured student, said: "My son was assaulted by the teacher. The accused should be taken to task".

Several parents and guardians have demanded action against the teacher for meting out harsh punishment to students.

"Teachers have been asked not to subject their children to corporal punishment. Saturday's incident is being inquired by the department," said district education officer Sangram Sahu.

The official said that several teachers were still not aware that meting out corporal punishment to students was a punishable offence.

The rising incidents of harassment, physical torture and abuse of children in schools indicate that it has become imperative for teachers to attend workshops and learn the difference between child abuse and discipline, said child rights activist Biraja Kumar Pati.

The state government had banned corporal punishment in all state-run and private schools in Odisha in September 2004.

The government had ordered that no physical punishment should be meted out to students studying in schools across the state.