CHENNAI: The School Education Department has issued a circular with a set of guidelines to end the recurring issue of caste-based violence in TN schools. As part of the plan, a committee comprising Chief Educational Officer (CEO), District Child Protection Officer (DCPO), and Superintendent of Police will be set up in each district to monitor schools.
Wearing coloured wristbands by students, which may indicate caste affiliation, and using bicycles with caste-identifying colours should be banned. Parents should be informed about this, the note said. Students expressing caste pride should be sensitively counselled, and use of mobile phones in schools by students must be strictly prohibited, the circular said.
It can be recalled that the Justice K Chandru committee, appointed to recommend measures to prevent caste-based differences in educational institutions, had submitted a detailed report more than a year ago.
Concerns had been raised earlier that the government had not taken any concrete action on the recommendations.
The circular mandates the creation of a forum named Urimai Mutram (Rights’ Forum), through which CEOs are to monitor caste-based tensions and violence arising from difference of opinion among students. The forum will include the PA (Higher Secondary) to the CEO, environment coordinator, and deputy inspector of schools. Headmasters must submit monthly reports to these monitoring bodies.
Schools have also been instructed to appoint teacher counsellors. One of the teacher counsellors will also serve as the School Welfare Officer (SWO). If a teacher or staff member engages in caste discrimination, the SWO is empowered to recommend disciplinary action.
The SWO will also hold the key to the Manavar Manasu (Students’ Minds) complaint box, which should be opened once a week. Confidentiality of students submitting complaints must be ensured. The Student Safeguarding Advisory Committee must be kept informed about complaints related to ragging, drug use, and sexual abuse.
Additionally, teachers are expected to hold discussions with the HM on caste discrimination, sexual abuse, drug use and related laws. They must also plan student sensitisation programmes. Some officials raised concerns over the weight circular would carry and whether concurrence was obtained from other line departments as the implementation would need the involvement of Social Welfare Home.
The incorrect reference of the post of District Child Protection Officer as the District Child Protection and Welfare Officer did not inspire confidence that the circular was issued after consultation with other departments, they said.