Students of a government school in Kalaburagi, Karnataka were allegedly forced to clean the toilets of the school and do gardening work at the residence of their school principal. As per reports, the principal of Maulana Azad Model English Medium School has been allegedly forcing students to indulge in these activities for the last one year. Reportedly, over the year, students of various classes have been forced to clean toilets and do gardening work at the principal’s residence.
Notably, the Maulana Azad Model schools were started by the Karnataka government across the state under the Directorate of Minorities.
MD Zameer, the father of a boy who studies at the same Maulana Azad government school, has written a complaint letter to the Roza police station. In the complaint letter, the student’s father has sought a thorough investigation and immediate action into the matter.
According to the complaint MD Zameer, when the parents of the students confronted the principal, she said that there was not enough manpower in the cleaning department. As per media reports, till now no action has been taken against the school principal in this matter.
Nonetheless, the police have stated that they would take appropriate action after a thorough investigation into the allegations against the school principal.
However, this is not a stand-alone incident of alleged student exploitation as numerous incidents of this kind have come to light in the last few months from the state of Karnataka.
Evidently, in December 2023, the District Block Education Officer filed a report after a video went viral on social media in which students were seen cleaning toilets in Shivamogga which is the home district of Karnataka education minister Madhu Bangarappa.
It was alleged that headmaster Shankarappa and other educators had made students clean restrooms.
On 23rd December, the Karnataka Police took into custody the headmistress of a government school in Bengaluru for allegedly forcing the students to clean the school’s restrooms.
As per reports, it was alleged that students at Bengaluru North’s Andrahalli Government School were forced to scrub down restroom walls and clean toilets.
Footage of the distressing incident went viral on social media, bringing the situation to public attention and prompting concerned authorities to intervene.
