The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development on Wednesday asked the North Delhi Municipal Corporation for a report on allegations that Hindu and Muslim students of a primary school in Delhi’s Wazirabad were segregated, PTI reported.
A report in the The Indian Express said the matter came to light after several teachers employed at the North Municipal Corporation of Delhi Boys’ School alleged that the classes were being divided along religious lines.
“We have not received any complaint yet but have read about it in media reports,” said Union Minister for Human Resource and Development Prakash Javadekar.
An unidentified official from the North Delhi Municipal Corporation’s education department said an official has been asked to visit the school and look into the claim, the news agency reported.
Municipal corporation schools in Delhi offer education only till Class 5. Each section in each class should ideally have 30 students, according to the Right of Education Act.
The newspaper reported that the attendance records, as of October 9, showed there were 36 students in Class 1A and 1B each. While Class 2A had 47 Hindus and Class 2B had 26 Muslims and 15 Hindus, Class 2C had 40 Muslims. There were 40 Hindu students in Class 3A, 23 Hindus and 11 Muslims in Class 3B, 40 Muslims in Class 3C, 14 Hindus and 23 Muslims in Class 3D. In Class 4A, there were 40 Hindus, 19 Hindus and 13 Muslims in Class 4B, 35 Muslims in Class 4C, and 11 Hindus and 24 Muslims in Class 4D. Meanwhile, there were 45 Hindus in Class 5A, 49 Hindus in Class 5B, 39 Muslims and two Hindus in Class 5C and 47 Muslims in Class 5D.
Teacher CB Singh Sehrawat, who has headed the school after the principal was transferred, denied the allegations. “Reshuffling of sections is standard procedure which happens in all schools,” Sehrawat said. “This was a management decision to try and do the best we can to see that there is peace, discipline and a good learning environment in the school. Children fought sometimes.”
An unidentified official told The Indian Express that the reshuffling was done after Sehrawat took over. “When some teachers tried to bring it up with him, he responded with aggression and told them that it was none of their concern and that they should do their assigned jobs,” the official said.
An official from the North Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s education department said action will be taken if the allegations are proven to be true.
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