How to remove casteism from TN schools: Report submitted to DMK govt
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Chennai: A 610-page report, submitted to the Tamil Nadu government on Monday, on how to eliminate caste discrimination in Tamil Nadu schools, recommends banning of caste markers such coloured wristbands or rings, among others, The Indian Express reported.
The committee, under retired Madras High Court judge K. Chandru, was formed last August following the brutal assault on two Dalit siblings by their upper-caste classmates in Tirunelveli.
Some of the measures recommend by Justice Chandru report include removing caste affiliations from school names and periodic transfer of teachers.
Submitted to Chief Minister MK Stalin, the report was based on visits to ‘several districts, teachers, educationists and students,’ according to the outlet.
The most significant of recommendations is to ensure high school and higher secondary school teachers not serving for long in one location where their castes ‘holds sway’. In order to implement this, the reports suggests period transfer of teachers.
The report also proposes banning of caste-markers such as wristbands, rings, or forehead marks on the school premises.
Alongsid, e it calls for ‘a mandatory orientation programme for Classes 6 to 12 on caste discrimination and caste violence, sexual harassment and sexual violence and laws such as the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention) of Atrocities Act’ The Indian Express reported.
Other major suggestions in the report include removal of ‘caste appellations’ such as ‘Kallar Reclamation’ and ‘Adi Dravidar Welfare’ from both government and private schools’ by renaming them.
The report suggests that attendance register should not have any information on students’ caste and the seating arrangement for students should be based on alphabetical order, and exceptions can be made only in the case of differently-abled students.
The report suggests that each secondary school with over 500 students should have School Welfare Officer (SWO) for overseeing policies for promoting inclusive environs.
Meanwhile, former Tamil Nadu BJP president H. Raja termed the recommendation to ban coloured wristbands, rings or forehead marks ‘anti-Hindu’.