Baldwin to probe plaints against manager

Staff from 3 schools stage protest near Bishop's house

After unrelenting protest by staff members of the Baldwin Co-Education Extension School, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, demanding that the school’s manager be removed, the management agreed to conduct an enquiry into the matter.

Over a hundred teachers and non-teaching staff of the school protested in front of the residence of the Baldwin group of institutions chairman, Bishop N L Karkare, on Tuesday.

They were joined by teachers from the Baldwin Girls’ and Boys’ Schools as well. They gathered in front of the Richmond Park, before moving towards the Bishop’s house on Rhenius Street.

On Friday, the teachers protested at the school in Rajarajeshwari Nagar against the manager Beena Unni Peter. Teachers alleged that she treated them badly, was verbally abusive and caused them great mental harassment. Their protest continued from Friday afternoon to Saturday evening and was called off after the Karnataka State Women’s Commission chairperson Nagalakshmi Bai assured them that she would take action against the management on Monday.

Last month, Beena had been removed from the post of manager of Baldwin Boys’ School after teachers staged an overnight protest citing similar complaints.

On Monday, the teachers handed in their complaints against the manager in writing, citing specific instances. “When a helper was absent from work for two days, the manager punished her by making her clean all the toilets all alone for two days,” a staff member said.

Nagalakshmi Bai along with some teachers met representatives of the management.

“Teachers have submitted their written complaints to the management. We have decided that we will constitute an independent enquiry committee to look into the problems by calling both parties. The committee will have 15 days time to submit a report,” said Rev David Nathaniel, secretary, Baldwin Society.

The management assured teachers that until the report was submitted, the manager would not be allowed into the school campus. Though Nagalakshmi Bai said that officials from the Departments of Public Instruction, Women and Child Development department and the state women’s commission would be part of the committee, Rev Nathaniel said it was only an advice. “

The chairperson suggested that we should have officials of these departments but we have not agreed to anything, The Bishop will constitute the committee. He will decide who will be part of it. But no one from the school or management will be part of it,” he said.

DH News Service