In a bid against caste discrimination, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has taken action against a lower primary school for maintaining an attendance register of students based on their castes.
GCC Orders To Discontinue The Practise Immediately
As per the latest reports, the students were divided into three batches to follow the Covid 19 restrictions. But instead of dividing them as per the alphabetical order, the teachers divided them based on their cases.
Talking to the media, the headmistress of the school said that it was unintentional. And the castes of the students was registered with the school for administrative purposes. At the same time, the headmistress ensured that confidentiality is maintained in these matters and other students wouldn’t know each other’s castes.
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D. Sneha, Deputy Commissioner of Greater Chennai Corporation also spoke to the media. She confirmed that they have ordered the school to immediately pull up the practise and the attendance register has been corrected as well. The register will now be maintained alphabetically. She informed that the Assistant Education Officers are directed to check the attendance registers of schools under GCC.
Director of the Centre for Policy and Development Studies, a think tank based in Chennai, C. Rajeev said that it was shocking how the headmistress could go “scot-free” after maintaining a caste based attendance register.
He said that the government is trying to frizzle out the caste feel amongst the people but the teachers are intentionally trying for the minor children to be caste conscious.
Tamil Nadu School Welcomes Students With Elephant
Meanwhile, as schools re-open across states and the Union Territories (UTs), a school in the Sivaganga district surprised their students as they come back to campus after 19 months. To welcome them to the students, an elephant was waiting.
The elephant had a colourful piece of a cloth and an ornamental face shield. It lifted its truck as the students walked in . However, the mahout made sure that it doesn’t get too close to the children and they were escorted to their classrooms by the teachers.
