COIMBATORE: The School Education Department on Wednesday launched a departmental inquiry against the headmistress of the Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Kallapalyam, on the outskirts of the city, for allegedly invoking the Scheduled Caste (SC) identity of some students and scolding them.
Five Class 11 SC students lodged a complaint with the School Education Department, alleging caste-based discrimination.
The district educational officer (secondary), Pollachi, has been appointed as the inquiry officer, and an inquiry is under way at the school based on the students' complaint.
Chief Educational Officer R Balamurali told TNIE they had received complaints against the headmistress for allegedly scolding students by referring to their caste name.
He said the DEO is inquiring, and further action will be taken based on the inquiry report.
In the complaint, filed on December 4, a Class 11 student stated that in December, she arrived late to class, and during the interval, the headmistress hit her in front of other students while humiliating her by referring to her caste name.
She said she was assaulted on her knee, which caused severe inflammation, and she had to seek treatment.
Another student mentioned in her complaint that when she spoke to other students on the school campus, the headmistress asked why she was talking to a girl from that caste, which she said hurt her deeply.
The headmistress was unavailable for a comment on the issue.