Jaipur school principal suspended after hearing, speech-impaired students protest over poor facilities

Jaipur: The Rajasthan government has suspended the principal of Government Seth Anandilal Poddar school for hearing and speech impaired and ordered a departmental inquiry after students staged a protest over alleged mismanagement, poor infrastructure as well as shortage of trained teachers. According to the department, principal Bharat Joshi has been placed under suspension after disciplinary proceedings were initiated against him under rule 16 of the Rajasthan civil services (classification, control and appeal) Rules, 1958. The suspension order states that Joshi will receive a subsistence allowance during the suspension period, while his headquarters has been fixed at the office of the director of secondary education in Bikaner. Vice principal Reshma Batra has been given charge of the school.

It comes after over 100 students participated in the protest, alleging that the school lacked basic facilities. The students highlighted cracked classroom walls, unhygienic toilets, shortage of drinking water and poor hostel food.

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They also alleged lack of enough teachers proficient in Indian sign language, making communication and classroom learning difficult for students. The protest reportedly intensified after plaster fell from a classroom ceiling. It drew political attention and prompted action from the school education department. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot visited the school and met protesting students. Calling the situation 'unfortunate', he said it was distressing that differently abled children had to protest on streets to make government hear their concerns.

Inquiry into allegations

Separately, the education department has ordered an inquiry into allegations of mismanagement raised by the students. Acting on the department's directions, joint director of school education (Jaipur division) Manju Sharma directed the chief block education officer (Jaipur east), Mukul Kavia, to head an inquiry committee and submit an urgent report recommending disciplinary action against those found responsible.

Using sign language, placards and written messages, the students said repeated complaints to the school administration had gone unanswered, leaving them with no option but to protest.

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Congress leader Sachin Pilot also criticised the state government, alleging that the institution had suffered due to administrative neglect. Responding to the allegations, vice principal Reshma Batra said teachers from classes 1 to 10 were trained in sign language and that the government had recently appointed 13 teachers for classes 11 and 12. The inquiry committee is expected to submit its findings to the School Education Department, which will decide the next course of action, IANS reports.

Reportedly, the Seth Anandilal Poddar School, established before Independence, currently has 583 hearing and speech-impaired students, including 282 hostel residents.