Pakistan, July 23 -- Twelve-year-old Farhan walked back into his madressah in Swat after missing a few days, unaware of what would follow. Three teachers beat him in front of his classmates, then dragged him into a side room where the blows continued until his small body collapsed. One arrest has been made. Two teachers remain at large while institution itself remains open.

This was not the first time a child has died inside a seminary, nor will it be the last unless the state breaks its pattern of inaction. Just last month, an 11-year-old in Shangla was hospitalized after a similar assault. In Kasur, a child was branded with a hot iron for not memorizing his lesson. These incidents and many more are symptoms of a system left to regulate...