Tamil Nadu News: A government school principal in Palakkodu in Tamil Nadu’s Dharmapuri, has been suspended after a video showing girl students cleaning toilets on the campus surfaced on social media. The incident has sparked outrage among parents and the local community.
The school, which caters to approximately 150 tribal students from classes 1 to 8, came under scrutiny when the videos depicted girls in school uniforms holding brooms and cleaning toilets. Parents alleged that their children were frequently assigned cleaning tasks, including maintaining the toilets, fetching water, and cleaning the premises, India Today reported.
Expressing her frustration, Vijaya, a parent, said, “We send our children to school to study, not to clean. When they come home, they are too tired to do their homework. When we asked them why, they said they had spent their time cleaning the school and toilets instead of learning. It’s heartbreaking to hear this, and it seems like the teachers are not focusing on their responsibilities to teach”, as quoted by India Today.
Tamil Nadu News: School Principal Asked Only Tribal Students To Clean Toilets, Parent Alleges
According to The New Indian Express, parents of three tribal students lodged a complaint with the school education department last week stating that the principal had made three tribal children clean toilets and sweep the school’s outer perimeter. A protest was staged outside the school on Saturday calling for action against the principal.
A parent told The New Indian Express, “The school headmistress asked only tribal students in the school to clean toilets. We send our children to school to receive education.”
Chief Education Officer, I Jyothichandra informed, “In our investigation, we learnt that the headmistress had requested students to carry pitchers of water to fill a tank in the restroom. There was no incident of children cleaning toilets. But as it is still wrong to make students do chores within the premises of the school, we have suspended the headmistress.”
Following the video and parental complaints, the District Education Officer (DEO) suspended the principal and announced a detailed investigation. Authorities have assured that the probe will prioritise the rights and well-being of the students.
