The Principal of a government school in Palakkodu, Tamil Nadu, has been suspended following an incident where several female students were filmed cleaning the school’s toilets. The video, which showed the girls in their school uniforms holding brooms and scrubbing toilets, went viral on social media, sparking outrage.
The school, which enrolls around 150 students from tribal communities across classes 1 to 8, has faced backlash from parents. Many parents have complained that their children often returned home exhausted from chores such as cleaning toilets, fetching water, and maintaining school grounds, which they claim interfered with their studies.”
We send our kids to study, not to clean,” said Vijaya, a mother of one of the students. “When they come home, they are too tired to do their homework. They tell us they spent their time cleaning instead of learning. It’s heartbreaking.”
In response to the viral video and growing parental concern, the District Education Officer took swift action, suspending the principal and promising a thorough investigation. Authorities assured that students’ well-being and educational rights would be prioritized as the matter is looked into.
Parents also protested outside the school, demanding accountability and changes to ensure that their children are not burdened with non-educational tasks. The education department has committed to investigating the issue and taking further action as needed to address the concerns raised.
