Jind horror: School Edu Dept recommends transfer of majority of employees

Geetanjali Gayatri

Chandigarh/Jind, November 18

Taking a serious view of the complacency and indifference of the teaching and non-teaching staff at the government girls’ school where a principal allegedly sexually abused students, and got away for long, the School Education Department has recommended the transfer of a majority of them.

Sources said the recommendation for the transfers had been sent to the government for approval. This comes a day after a woman principal was transferred to the school.

The team of the department, which interacted with students and their parents, had also recommended it. The parents said they had lost faith in the staff and urged the team to effect their immediate transfer since some of them owed allegiance to the principal.

The sources said the report of the school visit submitted by the team to the government also pointed out that the students had brought the conduct of the principal to the notice of a few teachers, but the teachers had denied it.

The students said the teachers would caution them against going to the principal’s room alone and that they stayed away from him unless it was necessary since he behaved “indecently” with the staff as well.

The report pointed out that the teachers were unwilling to speak up. A previous report prepared by the District Education Officer also claimed that the teachers chose to stay mum on the issue.

While the team has been critical of the role of the staff for failing to protect the students in its report, it observed that some teachers had been working at the school for nearly 15 years, and the principal had joined in 2017. The name of a teacher, who was closely working with the principal, but was recently transferred from the school, was mentioned by the students. The report suggested that the role of the teacher should also be examined.

Meanwhile, when “The Tribune” team visited the school, teachers had maintained that they had never heard allegations against the principal from students. They had not seen them crying or demoralised.

The sources said a majority of staff members were keeping quiet because they wanted to avoid being caught in any legal wrangles. “They knew what was going on, but chose to keep mum. That makes them an equal party to what happened. They were non-cooperative about any queries put to them,” a member of the School Management Committee added.

Chose to remain mum

They knew what was going on, but chose to keep mum. That makes them an equal party to what happened. They were non-cooperative about queries put to them. — Member, School Management Committee