When
schools 'teach' untouchability |
By - DNA
Correspondent
CRY study exposes discrimination against Dalit
teachers and students in Gujarat govt schools
AHMEDABAD: Gujarat may be doing better than several other states in terms of
literacy, but when it comes to quality of education, the state seems to be
lagging behind.
A recent study carried out by Bunyadi Adhikar Andolan and CRY (Child
Relief and You) has revealed that untouchability is
liberally practised by teachers and consequently by
students in most government-run schools in the state.
The study, released at a seminar on Thursday in Ahmedabad,
reiterated a previous case study on the status of Dalits
in primary education in
While there are no Dalit organisers
of the school, only 1% of the cooks are from this marginalised
section," it says.
The survey was carried out in 110 schools in 10 districts and concluded earlier
this week. A letter has been sent to the chief minister demanding a common
school system, which has been ratified by the government's National Policy on
Education in 1986 but is not yet implemented.
A senior member of CRY Balwant Singh said, "Dalit teachers and cooks are never allowed to serve food
during the mid-day-meals to kids. Whenever Dalit cooks
serve food, only Dalit children eat their mid-day
meal. Even the teachers unabashedly discriminate and practice untouchability, which is immediately reflected in the
students' attitude."
In fact, activists, who personally visited these schools, witnessed visible
forms of untouchability on at least 30 occasions over
a period of 20 days, earlier in this month.
The report records these cases between students, cook and students and teacher
and students. Gandhiji's cause seems to be lost in
his homeland itself. The archaic system of untouchability,
which he persevered to abolish in the country, continues to be practised in the temples of education -state-run primary
schools in villages.
"These findings are a serious cause for concern because if the child
learns this kind of discrimination at school level, he will grow and spread
this ideology. It is about time we stop these ideologies of division from
spreading to the next generation," Singh added.
This is again in addition to the fact that the overall status of education in
schools is quite dismal. "
The qualification of these teachers was not within the purview of this study,
but it has been highlighted earlier that it has been found wanting," CRY's manager - development support, Soumya
Mohanty, said.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
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