BENGALURU: The state government has issued a circular warning schools against making students clean toilets on their premises.
FIRs will be filed against the heads of schools if found disobeying the government order, according to the circular issued on December 28.
The Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) said students should be engaged only in academic, sports and extracurricular activities. It is the duty of teachers and school development and monitoring committees to ensure that students are kept away from tasks such as cleaning toilets.
The circular also highlighted that the recent acts of children cleaning school toilets are objectionable and condemnable. The government has taken the matter seriously, it said.
The department has issued several guidelines to schools on keeping their toilets and urinals clean and in hygienic conditions. “Cleaning and maintaining toilets in government primary, secondary and high schools by students is strictly prohibited for any reason whatsoever,” the circular stated.
Maintenance grants have already been released to schools and they should be utilised in phases in coordination with SDMCs. Failing to do so will result in disciplinary action against all stakeholders and FIRs will be filed against them, the DSEL warned in the circular.
The circular said officials must monitor schools and make timely visits to them to check the washrooms for boys and girls. Toilets should not be locked during school hours.
In case of mistakes or negligence or if such cases recur, the jurisdictional field education officers and deputy directors (Administration) will be held responsible and disciplinary action taken against them as per the department rules,” the circular stated.
SDMCs and principals have been asked to be careful and prevent such cases from happening in private-aided and unaided schools as well.