A principal in Tamil Nadu has been suspended after images of female students cleaning the school toilets went viral on social media. The incident took place in Palakkodu village in Tamil Nadu's Dharmapuri district.
The school, which caters to approximately 150 tribal students from Classes 1 to 8, came under probe when the images surfaced online, showing girls dressed in school uniforms holding brooms and cleaning toilet facilities. It led to protests outside the school as parents and locals voiced their anger and demanded an investigation.
The parents of some students seen in the viral video lodged a formal complaint with the school education department. They alleged that the headmistress had been assigning children to perform tasks such as cleaning the toilets, sweeping the premises, and fetching water.
The residents of the village took to the streets in protest over the incident. Holding placards and raising slogans, they demanded immediate action against the headmistress, arguing that such tasks should never be imposed on students, particularly young girls, in an educational institution.
In the wake of the incident, the Chief Education Officer (CEO) of Dharmapuri district launched an investigation. The District Education Officer (DEO) also confirmed the suspension of the headmistress and announced that an investigation would be conducted.
