Schoolchildren aged 6 to 13 have been digging up mud and carrying it away to level the school playground at Kyarekatanahalli in Sira taluk. This is in addition to their daily ‘duties’ of carrying firewood and waste tyres to school to cook their mid-day meal. And, of course, they also have the ‘daily duty’ of cleaning the toilets.
For the students of the higher primary government school in this village, which falls under the Assembly constituency of Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra, ‘school work’ means hard labour.
The students take care of cleaning and ‘other work’ during their leisure hour, when they are supposed to be playing sports.
A student said: “We are asked to clean the toilets on rotation.”
Despite LPG cylinders supplied to the school for the mid-day meal, students are asked to scout for firewood and waste tyres from the streets. The cylinders supplied to cook the meal are allegedly diverted by the school staff.
On Saturday, the children were found digging the playground and carrying the mud on their heads.
Headmaster Jayaramaiah insisted, “There is nothing wrong in involving the children in cleaning the school.” But he denied allegations that the children cleaned toilets, saying: “They have just been asked to keep it clean.”
Deputy director for Madhugiri educational district, Anjinappa, clarified that students should not be engaged in activities other than sports during their allocated leisure hours.
The Right To Education Act clearly states that students should not be forced to work in schools. “Block Education Officers have been directed to take compulsory action against such schools,” Anjinappa added.