Only 50-Plus Male Teachers In Girls' Schools In Haryana, Says Government

Gurgaon: Haryana Government has defended its decision to allow only male teachers who are above 50 years of age to be posted in state-run schools for girls, saying it is aimed at giving the students a "healthy ambiance".

"We have large numbers of girls schools in the state and we have to think about the age of teachers. There should be no misapprehension towards the state government that there is discrimination between boys and girls," Haryana Education Minister Rambilas Sharma said.

Queried about the need for taking such a step, the minister said, "There is no malicious intent. This is to give a healthy ambiance inside educational institutions of the state."

The Minister said that the Directorate of elementary and high schools boards have been asked to appoint or transfer male teachers who are more than 50 years of age in middle and high schools for girls.

Mr Sharma, an active member of Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), has taken several controversial steps, drawing the ire of the opposition which has accused him of saffronisation of education.

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He had earlier said that moral education will be introduced in the curriculum for the students of Class VI to 12 and that texts from Bhagwad Gita will be included in it.

He later said that texts from other holy books Quran, Bible and Guru Granth Sahib will also be incorporated in the curriculum.

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The Minister had also said that the students will be taught about Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee and freedom fighter Veer Savarkar, a Hindutva ideologue.

Mr Sharma said he was inspired by Swami Dayanand Saraswati's Satyartha Prakash where he recommended that schools for boys and girls should be different.

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The decision of Haryana government will be applicable only on schools. Colleges and universities will not be affected, he said.