VELLORE: As many as 4,000 government school teachers, from primary to higher secondary, wore black badges to work on Monday to protest against the suspension of a teacher after a viral video of government school girls mimicking a ‘baby shower’ for a fellow classmate surfaced last week.
Hundreds of teachers also thronged the office of District Chief Education Officer S Manimozhi, demanding the teacher’s reinstatement. On Monday morning, another group stood outside the Government Boys Higher Secondary School to show solidarity.
The teachers questioned how the class teacher could be held responsible for the students’ actions.
Janarthanan, a 60-year-old government school teacher, explained that although a rule prohibiting mobilephones exists and is regularly communicated to students, there is no practical system to check each student’s bag daily, nor is there time for it. He also noted the reel was recorded a month ago but went viral only last week. “So why wasn’t action taken a month ago?” he asked.
MS Selvakumar, another teacher, raised concerns about job security, saying, “If we are punished for mistakes made by students, where is the job security for us?”
T Malarvizhi, another teacher, said, “If teachers are penalised for every mistake made by students, how will they learn? We’re criticised for questioning students, saying it affects their mental health, and punished if we don’t.”
The teachers met the CEO in the evening and said they would hold a sit-in protest at the office till the teacher is reinstated. Following this, Collector VR Subbulaxmi met the teachers. Janarthanan said, “She would make sure that the teacher is reinstated within 7 to 10 days. She also spoke with the suspended teacher and reassured that she would get the required help.”