Teacher Edward McIver took a complaint to school management and the local police after a paper plane thrown by one of his pupils struck him in the eye - just shortly after he received eye surgery.

The pupil didn’t help his case by allegedly admitting to the school’s vice principal that he threw the plane and was aiming for McIver’s head.

The aeronautical incident took place at Andrews High School in Georgetown County, South Carolina.

The young miscreant was subsequently cited for third-degree assault and battery, punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a fine of $500.

He was released from detention on a $1,087.50 bond and will appear in court next month, South Strand News reports.

Defending the decision, the school district’s safety and risk management director, Alan Walters, said: “If any employee believes a crime has taken place, we report it.”