KAKINADA: The School Education Department on Thursday suspended the principal of the Zilla Parishad High School at Siripuram in Kakinada district, after TNIE had reported that students of the said school were forced to carry bricks for construction being done under Nadu-Nedu.
Commissioner of the School Education Department issued a circular to all the regional joint directors (RJD), district education officers (DEO) and additional project coordinators in the State to ensure that children are not engaged in any Nadu-Nedu works.
“No child should be allowed to do any work even on voluntary basis for Nadu-Nedu. In case of any violation, stringent disciplinary action will be taken against the concerned,’’ the circular said.Parents had raised complaints after a video of the students carrying bricks had gone viral on social media platforms.
When questioned, the headmaster, Nageswara Rao said the students were helping with the work, after a non-teaching staff - reportedly a relative - had asked.The mandal education officer (MEO) enquired the incident, following which the DEO submitted the report to the RJD of School Education, Zone-II Kakinada.
“It has come to the notice that Rao did not have knowledge of the incident. It is against child rights and norms of the government to assign the work of carrying bricks to the students during schools hours,” RJD D Madhusudhana Rao said, while initiating disciplinary proceedings.
The headmaster would be under suspension till further orders or until conclusion of the disciplinary proceedings contemplated against him.The students reportedly told officials that they were assigned some or the other work every day and on Wednesday, they were asked to carry the bricks to the first floor where additional floors were being constructed.