Teachers force Muslim, lower caste students to clean toilets in India: Report

[Sir john]

Some Indian teachers force children from lower castes and minority religions to clean toilets and sit separately from their classmates as part of "persistent" discrimination in classrooms, a rights group said on Tuesday. Human Rights Watch said pupils from marginalised communities often dropped out of school and started working as labourers rather than face continued humiliation at the hands of teachers and principals. The 77-page study on schools was compiled through interviews with more than 160 teachers, principals, parents and students in four states which have large populations of low-caste poor, indigenous tribals and Muslims. "India's immense project to educate all its children risks falling victim to deeply rooted discrimination by teachers and other school staff against the poor and marginalised," said the report's author Jayshree Bajoria. "Instead of encouraging children from at-risk communities who are often the first in their families to ever step inside a classroom, teachers often neglect or even mistreat them," she said. Children from Muslim communities were among those often made to sit at the back of classrooms or in separate rooms. They were called derogatory names, were denied leadership roles and were served food last, the report said. The report comes as a mammoth general election is underway which is likely to vault Narendra Modi and BJP to power after a decade of Congress party rule. Some children said they were segregated and neglected because they were considered dirty, while Muslim students said they were called "mullahs", a term for an Islamic cleric, instead of by their names. India's Parliament passed landmark legislation in 2009 that guarantees state schooling for children aged six to 14 and enrolments have reached more than 90 percent nationally. But HRW said the law does not contain punishments for those who discriminate in the classroom. Most education authorities have failed to establish proper mechanisms to monitor and track children, who were at risk of dropping out, and acting to ensure they were able to remain in school, the report said.

[Midfielder]

This is wrong.

[FischerTal]

:facepalm:

[Detonator]

Time for a secular govt. My vote for congress

[Midfielder]

Time for a secular govt. My vote for congress

Agreed Govt should be secular but what makes you think Modi would not be? India has a decent free press and I think minorities would be safe under Modi. Congress has been there for too long and have run out of steam and ideas. maybe next time.

[bulbul]

This is what happens when you vote for "secular" forces. Hope community woke up and see what benefits they get from the people who promise thm moon. PS : I guess this is mostly limited to poor peopl,same like how backward castes are treated.

[surajmal]

Hindus are to blame for serving their home on a platter to bunch of noobs and desh drohis.

[game_changerr]

Time for a secular govt. My vote for congress

60 years se man nai bhara ,,,,,jo u still rooting for khangress.....so tat they can extend the reservation to 99 from 49.....jesus,,,,

[beetle]

This is a serious punishable offence. These teachers(if you can call these criminals that)should be thrown behind bars.

[Crookbond]

I think the Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989 could be applied here.

[beetle]

I think the Prevention of Atrocities Act' date=' 1989 could be applied here.[/quote'] +1..... + child labor and child abuse.

[Crookbond]

+1..... + child labor and child abuse.

I'm not sure if the child labor act could be applied here. Edit - The Child Labor can be applied if you are able to prove that cleaning of toilets is a "Hazardous Process" as defined in Sec 2(cb) by the Factories Act, 1948 - difficult to prove. Unless this cleaning of toilets is "scavenging", The Child Labour Act 1986 looks inapplicable. Even in applicable cases, the penalty is quite weak - 3 months to 1 year imprisonment and/or Rs. 10,000 fine.

[hhunaeh]

Many moons ago, i twice posted a video which interviewed multiple lower caste children on their daily school toilet cleaning duties. So this revelation is nothing new, apart from muslim kids also being added to the toilet cleaning roster.

[Detonator]

Agreed Govt should be secular but what makes you think Modi would not be? India has a decent free press and I think minorities would be safe under Modi. Congress has been there for too long and have run out of steam and ideas. maybe next time.

60 years se man nai bhara ' date=',,,,jo u still rooting for khangress.....so tat they can extend the reservation to 99 from 49.....jesus,,,,[/quote'] Secular govt. will make everyone equal. All the school children can clean toilets for money. That way discrimination will be abolished.