Close on the heels of a government school teacher cutting locks of hair of students in Vijayapura district to enforce discipline, a similar incident has been reported from a private school in Hubballi.
The headmistress of St. Paul’s School reportedly cut a lock of hair of the student during prayer time, which in turn has resulted in the shocked student refusing to go to school now.
Speaking to The Hindu , the father of the student, Cicil Borgai, said that on Wednesday his son came home with a part of his hair cut and in a state of shock. He told me that his headmistress had cut the hair in the presence of all other students. “Now, he is in a state of shock. He fears being chided by others and is refusing to go to school,” he said.
Mr. Borgai clarified that he was not against discipline in the school but the manner in which his son was insulted before all other students was condemnable.
“Earlier, my son had told me that he had been asked to get a hair cut by his teacher. In fact, I had got him a hair cut 10 days ago. We had a family function. So I had told him that I would get him a haircut after the function,” he said.
“If there was anything wrong with regard to his haircut, the school should have called me. But disgracing a boy in front of other students will make him mentally weak,” Mr. Borgai said.
After the incident, the student has got his head shaved.
Meanwhile, the school authorities, speaking to presspersons, have defended their action saying that it was done to maintain discipline in the school.
They said that the boy had been warned previously to cut his long hair, but since he continued to sport long hair, a lock of hair was cut to enforce discipline, they said.
When contacted, Block Education Officer Umesh Bommakkanavar said that he had received information on the incident and as he was not in station, he would visit the school on Friday and take action after assessing the facts.
