Image showing directions for toilets for men and women. For representational purposes.
Credit: iStock Photo
A viral video showing girl students being made to clean a school toilet in Tamil Nadu has led to the suspension of the principal of a government-run educational institution.
According to a report by India Today, a video surfaced on social media showing girls in the school cleaning toilets on the campus.
The video showed girl students dressed in school uniforms with brooms in their hands, cleaning toilets.
The parents of the students complained that their kids often returned home exhausted as they were routinely made to do chores on the campus, including cleaning toilets, fetching water, and maintaining the school premises.
The parents also alleged that their children's education was being compromised.
"We send our children to school to study, not to clean. When they come home, they are too tired to do their homework. When we asked them why, they said they had spent their time cleaning the school and toilets instead of learning. It’s heartbreaking to hear this, and it seems like the teachers are not focusing on their responsibilities to teach," the mother of a student was quoted as saying by the publication.
Once the video went viral and the parents voiced their concerns, the District Education Officer swung into action and suspended the school principal, pending the completion of an investigation.
Around 150 students from tribal communities study in the school located in Palakkodu, the report further said.