After a Kanchipuram school forces students to clean toilets, HC asks collector for a report on toilet facilities in schools

The Madras High Court has called for a detailed report from the Kanchipuram district Collector on the availability of toilet facilities for children in local schools. A division bench of Justices M Sathyanarayanan and P Rajamanickam gave the interim directive while admitting a PIL petition from M Thyagarajan, town secretary of Cheyyur unit of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, last week.

The PIL prayed for appropriate action against the correspondent of RC Middle School, a government-aided institution, for allegedly compelling students to clean toilets. It also urged the court to constitute a district-level committee of officials to inspect all government and government-aided schools to ensure that adequate toilet facilities are provided with sanitary workers.

Petitioner’s wife Parvathi was working in the school as a science teacher for the past 10 years on consolidated pay. But, after the incident came to light and she sent representations to various authorities, she was terminated from service. However, the school management shifted the blame on her and alleged that it was she, who forced children to clean toilets and that was why she was removed from service.

Undeterred by the action of the management, she continued to petition the Collector to take appropriate action against the correspondent and ensure that such cleaning works are done only by sanitary workers.
As the authorities failed to take any action on the representations, the petitioner moved the High Court. After ordering notice to the Collector, the bench posted the matter for further hearing on January 25.