Puttur: Controversy over unauthorized school trip; Parents stand by teacher

Puttur: A assistant teacher taking students of a government school without the notice of the higher officials of the school has led to a controversy. After a complaint against the teacher was filed, some parents of the children who participated in the tour stood in support of the teacher.

The incident relates to the Beernahitlu Government Primary School in Chikkamutnoor village.

Parents arrived at the school on Monday and claimed the allegations levelled against the teacher Bharthi were false. Since Saturday was a school holiday on account of a local fair, the parents said, they themselves sent the children on the trip and the school has nothing to do with it. The School Development and Monitoring Committee 9SDMC) president has furnished false information, they claimed.

What is the issue? 

Bharathi, an assistant teacher at the school, is accused of taking more than 20 students of the school on an unauthorized trip on Saturday, February 4. It is alleged that neither the SDMC nor the headmaster was notified about the trip.

The children were absent from school on Saturday. News spread that children were missing from school and education department officials rushed to the school. They contacted Bharathi and asked her to return with the children immediately.

Parents of the children who went on the trip, said that the confusion over the school holiday led to the controversy. Harish, speaking on behalf of the parents,  said that the school holiday is declared on the day of the village temple fair every year.

It was also decided during the SDMC meeting that February 4 will be a school holiday but the school was held as usual on Saturday without notice.  “No meeting was called to amend the SDMC decision. It is wrong to cancel the holiday without any intimation,” he said.

The other parents voiced a similar opinion and said that the trip had no connection with the school. What the kids do during their vacation should not be of any concern to the school, they said.

They also expressed their outrage at the president of SDMC for “giving false information” to the media and demanded a clarification to correct the unnecessary confusion caused.

BRP Naveen Stephen Vegias addressed the parents and said that the issue will be brought to the notice of the superior officers and further actions will be taken to address the same.

Meanwhile, the BEO office has served a notice to the assistant teacher to submit a written reply within 3 days regarding the “unauthorized” trip.