COIMBATORE: Over 50 students, mostly Dalit girls, of Vilankurichi Panchayat Union Middle School near here were up in arms against a teacher who allegedly punished two students for refusing to clean the school toilets.The incident came to light when SFI activist Kareen brought the the students to the collectorate on Thursday to highlight the plight of the Dalit girls.This website's newspaper spoke to two girl students -- Tamilselvi and Jeeva -- who said that their teacher Umamaheswari forced them to clean the school toilets on July 28.When they refused, the teacher along with headmistress of the school, Philomena, allegedly beat the girls.
The teacher is understood to have sent them out of the school on Tuesday and abused them by their caste name, the students claimed.Tamilselvi and Jeeva said that the headmistress and the teacher threatened to dismiss them from the school if they failed to apologise for their behaviour.The District Collector, V Palanikumar, spoke to the students and assured them that action would be taken. DRO, S Prabhakaran said that CEO, DEO and district Adidravidar welfare officer were conducting an enquiry into the incident on the school premises at Vilankurichi.Refuting the students claim, assistant elementary education officer, R Rajendran, said that the students were imparted training under the Total Sanitation Programme that is being implemented in rural areas.
Under the programme, students are to clean toilets and the school premises in order to familiarise themselves with sanitation and hygiene practices. Rajendran said that a group of students failed to turn up for training.
Vilankurichi panchayat president, Aarukutty, said it was a small issue that was being blown out of proportion. He blamed certain activists who were trying to derive mileage using the incident.
A social activist said the school authorities under the guise of the sanitation programme in schools, should not ill-treat the students, more so the Dalit students.
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