Students of a government-run higher secondary school for girls in Bhopal went on a rampage on Wednesday and allegedly damaged furniture and other property at the premises, alleging harsh punishment by the woman administrator.
This has led to the removal of the administrator from the post by authorities, PTI reported.
Viral videos showed students damaging classroom furniture at the Government Sarojini Naidu Girls Higher Secondary School, pulling ceiling fan blades, breaking electronic gadgets, and smashing windows and door glasses.
They also held a sit-in protest claiming that they were made to mow the lawn and clean the premises as punishment for “minor infractions”.
District Education Officer (DEO) NK Ahirwar confirmed that the school is overseen by the State Open School, with a former armed forces captain, Varsha Jha, managing the administration. Jha has been removed from her position following the uproar.
Students claimed they were subjected to disproportionate punishment for arriving late in the school.
“Merely because we got late by 10-15 minutes, the school administration forced us to remove grass from the ground and made us stand in the Sun,” a student claimed in a viral video.
Some students felt collapsed because of the harsh punishment, she said.
Another student said, “When we made our demands, the school administration told us we were not fit to study in a school. This is their tone”.
“Many of us live far away. Some of us who cycle, walk or take an auto to school and it naturally takes time. We came here to study and we were made to clean garbage,” a girl said.
Students also complained of the poor condition of washrooms and insufficient water supply.
Meanwhile, the Congress MLA from the Bhopal Madhya assembly constituency tried to pacify the students.
Former Union minister Arun Yadav claimed students were asked to remove garbage, cut grass, and shift stones for late arrival.
Toilets in the school are dirty and students are not getting clean and safe drinking water, he posted on X. “If this is the situation of a school in the state capital, then one can imagine the plight of the government-run schools in other parts of the state,” Yadav added.
An official inquiry into allegations by students, including ill-treatment and the poor condition of the school’s facilities, is underway. Ahirwar assured that appropriate action would be taken based on the findings.
Responding to students’ complaints about being forced to clean toilets, the DEO said action would be taken after the inquiry.
“After hearing from students, it seems the behaviour of Varsha Jha was not good towards them. It seems she used to deal with them very strictly,” he said.
Madhya Pradesh State Open School Education Board, previously known as MP Open School, was set up considering the need for optional education.
(With inputs from PTI)