Class 3 kids forced to carry slates around neck, govt orders probe

An English medium missionary school in Kadapa district in Andhra Pradesh could face the music for forcing two class three students to wear slates around their necks with the message “I will not speak in Telugu”, reports Ashok Das.

An English medium missionary school in Kadapa district in Andhra Pradesh could face the music for forcing two class three students to wear slates around their necks with the message “I will not speak in Telugu”.

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The Students were penalized in this manner on Monday for conversing in Telugu, their mother tongue during the classes.

School Education Minister D Manikya Vara Prasad on Tuesday ordered a probe into the episode following strong reaction from a cross section of people. . “If the management is found guilty, we will de-recognise the school and if a teacher or principal is responsible, we will advise the management to sack him/her,” he said

The incident came to light during lunch time on Monday when parents came to St. Joseph`s School at Mydukur to handover lunch boxes to their wards.The parents noticed that the two kids were going around the campus with slates hanging around their necks.

The victims informed that the teachers have warned them not to try to remove it till the school closing time. They further said that the teacher punished them for conversing in Telugu during classes. The kids told their mothers that their teacher was angry at them for not following her order to speak only in English during the class.

However this has not assuaged the injured feelings of Telugu aficionados. Telugu Bhasha Parirakshana Samithi, a group working for the protection and promotion of Telugu language, petitioned the State Human Rights Commission to intervene and take stern action against the school authorities.