- Primary school dalit Tamil students clean School teachers toilets

Ganapathypalayam Panchayat Primary School, 15 km from Erode, Tamil Nadu State, has taken the concept of "dignity of labour" too far: Barefoot students have been ordered to clean the school toilets by the authorities.

Two students, studying in III and IV standards, were found cleaning the toilets on Thursday by District Collector D. Karthikeyan.

Nobody knows how long the practice has been going on. But it came to light by chance on the day the Collector came on a visit to the school.

Mr. Karthikeyan was in the village to inaugurate a district-level intensive motivation campaign for school children. Even as classes were going on, the two students were busy cleaning the school toilets. They admitted to the Collector that their teacher had deputed them to do the task. In fact, students took turns to clean the toilets and the classrooms, the Collector was told.

In a district that is striving to eradicate child labour in any form, children were being forced to clean toilets.[10-06-2005]

Follow - Up:

- Headmistress suspended for asking boys to clean toilet - Collector's warning to teachers [TH]

OPINION / REACTIONS :

> What is wrong in kleening toilets. When I went to sea at the age of 16 as a Jr cadet officer I had to clean toilets for six months on a British Cadet Ship. It made me a man. Capitan Charles, Sri Lanka. [10-06-2005]

> In case every student cleans the toilet turn by turn, i think its a noble idea and creates humility in the mind of the students. Lets be practical and be not oversensitive to every small issue. - Navkiran Singh, General Secretary lawyers for Human Rights international, CHANDIGARH 160011 , INDIA. [10-06-2005]

> Congrats decision to undertake the Fact Finding. Keepus informed. - Henri, Peoples Watch-Tamil Nadu, India [11-06-2005]

> I would like to give my regards to both the Collector and the Chief Educational Officer for taking action agaisnt the head mistress in regards to the Dalit students being made to clean the school toilets. As for the other two commentors, I would like to ask Mr. Singh a question. Would it be a noble idea if Brahmin students were to be made to clean the school toilets? I think that there would be a big uproar with Indias elites about the "abomination" of having Brahmin students clean the toilets. After all caste discrimination rules India. Don't tell me that it doesn't. As for Capt. Nemo of Sri Lanka, this is not the fact of tuffening up the boys or not. This is about discrimination. Another thing I would like to bring to light is that in most countries, there are child labor laws. Does India have child labor laws? From the looks of it, there probably isn't any. If the same incident were to happen here in the U.S. the whole school or school district would be sued by the parent. But, then again, one would tell me that India is not the United States. You may be right. If people in India want to practice their ritualistic caste discrimination, why don't they just confess to it instead of covering it up? - Alex Doss, USA [11-06-2005]

> Why is happening? I really upset. Why you called teachers like this people. if happen here, they will get shot. - Name Hidden, SL [12-06-2005]

> There is nothing wrong in guiding the students to keep the places that they use clean and tidy. In fact, teaching the students to do their own cleaning is part of a good and sound education. Because it was not taught earlier we are now having a DIRTY, FILTHY TOILETS all over the public places in the country. All those who oppose students being asked to clean up their class rooms and other places they themselves are using, I am requesting them to take a tour all over India and ' visit' the public toilets and bathrooms in the bus stands and railway stations through out the country. Then ask why it is so horribly dirty, stinky and filthy so much so that after seeing that horrible scene once one is not even able to eat food for days !!! Our Father of the Nation always insisted "APNE KAAM KHUD KARRO". Let us give up the 'sickness' of finding fault with everything waste a lot of time and energy to justify it and defend it. - (CP) A concerned Citizen of India [12-06-2005]

> Good action by the officials. Here so many things like this. - sharanjali [12-06-2005]

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