Hyderabad School Row: Teacher terminated after assigning Islamic religious practices as homework

HYDERABAD: A private school teacher in the city has been terminated after a row erupted over her allegedly assigning Islamic religious practices as homework to a Hindu student, officials said on Thursday. The family members of the child alleged that the teacher assigned such work to the boy and filed a police complaint.

Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Thursday took strong exception to the instructions given as part of academic activity by the school teacher and demanded action against the institution.

Meanwhile, the teacher was terminated over the issue, an official of the school management said on Thursday.

Earlier, a relative of the student lodged a complaint with police over the matter. A police official on Thursday said they are verifying into the complaint and will proceed accordingly. An aunt of the six-year-old student who confronted the teachers at the school alleged that she found instructions in the boy's home work diary to read certain content related to core Muslim belief.

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Religious topic mandatory for students

She claimed the school principal had told her that it was a religious topic which is is mandatory for all students to follow. The woman, who showed the school almanac, quoted the teacher who gave the instructions as having stated that she had written the instructions in the boy's book by mistake.

Finding fault with the directives and the school's response, she said such religion-related home work should be given only to those who opt for it. She said the education department should take action in the incident. A video of the woman confronting the school authorties has gone viral.

Taking strong exception to the incident, Bandi Sanjay Kumar demanded that action should be taken against the school management. "Why the so-called secular outfits are tight-lipped on the incident," he asked. Expressing confidence that the BJP would come to power in Telangana after the next assembly elections in 2028, Sanjay Kumar said it would be made mandatory for all Hindu students to apply 'tilak' (religious mark on the forehead). VHP leader Ravinuthala Shashidhar demanded action against the institution, saying that its recognition by the government should be revoked.