A report submitted to Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin on Tuesday recommended that the state government prohibit students from sporting paraphernalia that identifies their caste, ensure the removal of caste appellations from names of schools, and eventually introduce a legislation geared towards enforcing a policy of social inclusion, among suggestions on ways to prevent caste-based atrocities among students.
The report, seen by HT, was put together by retired Madras high court justice K Chandru. He was appointed by the state government to a one-man committee in August last year to study and suggest ways in which caste-based atrocities among students in school and college can be prevented after two children from the scheduled caste were assaulted by a group of students belonging to an intermediate caste in Nanguneri in Tirunelveli district.
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“I visited several districts including Tirunelveli, Madurai and Coimbatore and got responses from 2,742 people who are individuals, retired government servants, NGOs,” justice Chandru told HT. “But, none of the teachers associations nor students associations responded.”
“Students should be prohibited from wearing any coloured wristbands, rings, or forehead marks (tilaka),” among other caste-based identifiers, the 18-page report said. “Failure to comply with these rules must result in appropriate action being taken, in addition to advising their parents or guardians.”
The state government should establish a Social Justice Students Force (SJSF) comprising students “from all communities... united in their efforts to combat social evils”, the report recommended.
In a series of recommendations for schools, it said words such as “Kallar Reclamation”, “Adi Dravidar Welfare” which directly identify caste should be removed. Existing private schools should also remove caste-based names and the government should take action against any schools failing to do so. “If any educational agency seeks to establish a new school, the conditions for permission to start a school must include a stipulation that the school’s name shall not bear any caste appellation.”
Caste names of those donating to the schools must also be removed.
Among long-term recommendations, the report directs the government to enact a separate legislation governing all students to enforce a policy of social inclusion and eradicate caste discrimination. “This legislation should impose duties and responsibilities on students, teaching and non-teaching staff, as well as the management of such institutions, and prescribe mechanisms for supervision, control, and sanctions for non-compliance with these directives,” the report has said.
Among recommendations aimed towards teachers, it suggested that appointed school education department officials, such as education officers, should not be from the dominant caste in that area, while teachers should not refer to students either directly or indirectly by their caste. “At the time of recruitment of teachers by the Teachers Recruitment Board (TRB), the aptitude of the teachers, as well as their attitude towards social justice issues, must be ascertained and taken into account for recruitment,” the report said.
“Teachers and staff of all schools and colleges must undergo a compulsory orientation programme relating to social issues, caste discrimination, and the different laws pertaining to sexual violence, sexual harassment, drugs, ragging, and offences against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes before the start of every academic year. Also, they must be informed of the consequences of violating those laws.”
He also suggests the creation of rules regarding the Annual Confidential Reports (ACR). “The ACR for Officers and Headmasters must include a column to record their attitudes towards Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, with appropriate procedures for maintaining these records,” the recommendation said, adding that the state must prescribe statutorily a code of conduct for the teachers and staff of educational institutions run by the government.
The syllabus for the Bachelor of Education degree, conceived by the Tamil Nadu Teacher Education University (TNTEU), as well as the syllabus for the Diploma in Elementary Education, framed by the Tamil Nadu Board of State Council of Educational Research and Training (TNSCERT), must be thoroughly revised to ensure orientation towards inclusivity, it said.
An expert committee of educators must review the syllabus prescribed for school students and provide suggestions for eliminating insular views and include content that will enhance social justice values, non-discriminatory attitudes, and concepts of equality.
The retired justice has also recommended for the state government to create a post of School Welfare Officer (SWO) who must monitor the functioning of the school regarding issues of ragging, drug menace, sexual assault and offences related to caste discrimination and should address these issues in accordance with the law.
“However, the issue of caste discrimination extends beyond student campuses and needs to be addressed at the societal level,” he said in the report. “Therefore, the government is advised to take appropriate steps to address this issue at the societal level for caste eradication and to foster communal harmony.
