Students made to clean school toilets in Tiruvallur

Officer holds inquiry; submits report to Director of School Education

They were made to do the work without protective gear.

In a shocking incident, the principal of a government school in Tiruvallur on Friday made girl students clean the toilets, that too without any protective gear as the janitor had not come for work for the past few days. Following complaints from parents, teachers and students, the Chief Education Officer, Tiruvallur, conducted an inquiry on Monday.

On November 24, Kavya, a Standard IX student of R.M. Jain Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Tiruvallur, complained of nausea and was not able to eat properly, said N. Dinesh, her relative.

“When I asked her, she explained how she and other students were made to clean toilets without any protective gear or gloves,” Mr. Dinesh alleged.

The school has around 1,000 girls in Classes from VI to XII. But it has toilets that can be used only by 20 persons at a time.

The government is paying ₹2,500 a month to a janitor to clean them.

On November 24, the school principal summoned the class leaders and assistant leaders to her room and told them to clean the toilets.

“The girls resisted, but the principal threatened them with punishment if they did not do as told. The girls finally cleaned the toilets using towels and sponge,” Mr. Dinesh alleged.

He lodged a complaint with Tiruvallur Collector E. Sundaravalli.

Subsequently, the issue was brought to the notice of Chief Education Officer T. Rajendran. “After inquiring with the students and teachers, I have submitted a report to the Director of School Education,” he said.