Remove community column in diaries, CEO tells TN private schools

COIMBATORE:  The school education department has warned private schools to remove stringent action if they seek community details of students. The warning comes after a section of parents lodged a complaint stating that some private schools in the city are asking students to mention their community in their diaries and stating they are inculcating casteist thoughts among children.

C Kathiravan, whose daughter is a Class 10 student in a private school, said, “Last year, the school issued a diary in which a column for mentioning community was printed in the bio-data section. I questioned the principal and he assured me it will not happen again.  But this year’s diary also contained the same column. Since this will encourage casteist feelings, I lodged a complaint with educational officers.”

Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam district president M Nehrudass said, “Recently, a parent informed me that a private school forced them to fill community details in the diary. After that, we started to monitor the private schools and found that many schools are following the practice.

So, I complained about it with educational officers.” Based on Nehrudass’s complaint, last August, the social justice committee of Tamil Nadu forwarded a letter to school education department secretary to take appropriate action.  KR Nandakumar, general secretary, Tamil Nadu Nursery, Matriculation and CBSE Schools Association said, “School education department asks students’ particulars frequently to update details in the Education Management Information System portal. Due to this, some schools ask student’s community details.”

Educationist Prince Gajendra Babu said, “There is no instruction from school education department that private schools should maintain community details in the diary, workbook, etc. Rather, they should maintain this detail through separate register.”

“Students’ community particulars should not go outside the classrooms. If private schools blame the school education department for collecting particulars, we should understand that private schools do not understand the government instructions correctly,” he added.

Chief Educational Officer R Boopathi said,  “Schools should not ask community details of  students through diary. It is not necessary. Officers will be inspecting private schools to monitor this.” Further Boopathi said all schools have been directed to remove the bio data page that featured community, from diary.