Chennai school faces action over caste-based attendance register

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has taken action against a lower primary school for maintaining attendance register of students on the basis of their caste.

The students were divided into three batches following Covid-19 restrictions but instead of dividing them on the basis of alphabetical order, the children were divided on caste lines. The GCC pulled up the school and directed to discontinue the practice immediately.

The school headmistress told media persons that it was unintentional and that the students were earlier also had caste put against their name in attendance register.

The headmistress also said that this was only for administrative purposes and that students will not know of the castes of their classmates.

Deputy Commissioner of Greater Chennai Corporation, D. Sneha told media persons, "The issue is sorted out and the attendance register is corrected. It seems to have been unintentional as per oral investigation."

The Deputy Commissioner said that the attendance is now maintained in alphabetic manner. She said that the Assistant Education Officers are directed to check the attendance registers of schools under GCC.

C. Rajeev, Director, Centre for Policy and Development Studies, a think tank based out of Chennai told IANS, "This is shocking, how can the headmistress go scot-free after maintaining an attendance register on caste basis. While the government is trying to fizzle out the caste feel among the people, teachers are intentionally injecting caste consciousness in minor children. Stringent action must be taken against those who have erred."