BENGALURU: The Karnataka 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 proper 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 education officials must monitor schools and make timely visits to them to check the washrooms. Toilets should not be locked during school hours. “In case of mistakes or negligence, action will be taken against gulity officials,” the circular stated.