Failing Turkish Students Get Police Protection

Authorities in eastern Turkey have set up a hotline and are providing police escorts for schoolchildren who do poorly in their annual reports and fear punishment at home, officials said.

“We are sending out escorts to schools for children who are afraid to go home because they’ve failed or have low grades,” said a police officer in the city of Erzurum.

“If it’s necessary, we will talk to the family,” he said.

He reported that two children had already phoned police on the hotline.

Aysegul Salgin, a pediatrician in Istanbul, said doctors report an increase in child abuse each June when report cards arrive.