The Delhi government sacked three teachers and suspended another three at a state-run school in south Delhi for beating up schoolchildren and misbehaving with them.
The order comes after children at the school complained of teachers repeatedly beating them up and hurling abuses.
The services of a science teacher, a social science teacher and a physics lecturer were terminated. The vice-principal of the school along with a Hindi teacher, and a lecturer of accounts were placed under suspension by the Delhi government’s Education Department.
Earlier this week, Education Minister Manish Sisodia visited Shahid Hemu Kalani Sarvodya Bal Vidyalaya in Lajpat Nagar. This was a part of the surprise inspection of the special classes held during the ongoing summer vacation. When the minister started interacting with students of classes IX and XII, they hinted at teachers resorting to corporal punishment. The students also indicated that teachers did not focus well on taking classes and neglected the academic curriculum.
Following this, Sisodia asked the teachers and the school principal to leave the classroom so that students could express their views without fear. During the next hour, students narrated their experiences and named two teachers who repeatedly indulged in hitting students and used abusive language while in classrooms.
Other students spoke of how teachers did not pay attention to holding practical classes, which is mandatory for some subjects. Students were not being able to cope with the physics lessons as there were no practical classes taken along side, the minister was told.
The government has directed the principal and other teachers to be more sensitised while dealing with the children. Sisodia told teachers that if students are not treated affectionately, their attempts to give them sound education would be counter-productive. This would also hamper their learning process.
Published 21 May 2016, 21:04 IST