Unacademy sacks teacher who asked to vote for 'educated' leader; #UninstallUnacademy trends

NEW DELHI: The online education technology firm Unacademy has fired a teacher, who teaches judicial services aspirants, for asking to vote for an ‘educated’ leader and not someone who knows how to change names. Following the action, academics, politicians and common people have started demanding everyone to uninstall the company’s online mobile application.

In a viral video, teacher Karan Sangwan is seen saying, “Remember one thing, next time when you vote, vote for someone educated so that you don’t suffer all of this again in your life.” “Choose someone who is educated, who can understand things and not someone who only knows changes…knows how to change names…so make your decision properly,” he added.

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Meanwhile, the company founder Roman Saini issued a statement wherein he said that the classroom is not a place to personal views and the teacher breached code of conduct. "We are an education platform that is deeply committed to imparting quality education. To do this we have in place a strict Code of Conduct for all our educators with the intention of ensuring that our learners have access to unbiased knowledge. Our learners are at the centre of everything we do. The classroom is not a place to share personal opinions and views as they can wrongly influence them. In the current situation, we were forced to part ways with Karan Sangwan as he was in breach of the Code of Conduct," he tweeted.

We are an education platform that is deeply committed to imparting quality education. To do this we have in place a strict Code of Conduct for all our educators with the intention of ensuring that our learners have access to unbiased knowledge.

Our learners are at the centre of…

— Roman Saini (@RomanSaini) August 17, 2023

Members of various political parties, academicians, and students took to Twitter with the hashtag #UninstallUnacademy and came in support of the teacher. They also reacted to the founder's comment.

A Twitter user wrote, “We live in the strangest times, educated people are terminated & illiterate people are elected.”

We live in the strangest times, educated people are terminated & illiterate people are elected.#UninstallUnacademy pic.twitter.com/l0m7t0mfI5

— Rofl Democrazy (@FakeerHun) August 17, 2023

A person asked in a tweet, “Is it wrong to ask citizen to vote for educated politician. This is very normal to expect educated people as elected representatives & there is nothing wrong in it. I stand with Karan sir & uninstalling Unacademy.”

Is it wrong to ask citizen to vote for educated politician.

This is very normal to expect educated people as elected representatives & there is nothing wrong in it.

I stand with Karan sir & uninstalling Unacademy#UninstallUnacademy pic.twitter.com/rggj86rDMa

— Ajinkya Vyawahare ?? (@vajinkya16) August 17, 2023

A person asked if the company's founder will fire himself for sharing his stories in classroom and tweeted, "In classroom teacher do share their personal views, personal life story their experiences. He himself have share his life story, joke in class room. Oh sry RomanSaini don’t know this? So will he fire himself too?

In classroom teacher do share their personal views, personal life story their experiences.
He himself have share his life story, joke in class room.

Oh sry @RomanSaini don’t know this?
So will he fire himself too?#UninstallUnacademy https://t.co/r6pkd5ZwzI

— Sahil Sultan (@AreToKyaHua) August 17, 2023

“Do you seriously want your kids to be using an education app that freaking fires teachers just for encouraging students to vote for educated leaders? Is this the messed up set of moral values you actually want to instill in your own children?,” said another Twitter user.

Do you seriously want your kids to be using an education app that freaking fires teachers just for encouraging students to vote for educated leaders?

Is this the messed up set of moral values you actually want to instill in your own children?#UninstallUnacademy pic.twitter.com/sL7lBfyOnt

— Kapil (@kapsology) August 17, 2023

Another user tweeted, “Only in India can someone be fired for asking students to 'vote for the educated'! You might disagree with his opinion, but it's hardly a controversial stand that would warrant such a step!”

Only in India can someone be fired for asking students to 'vote for the educated'! You might disagree with his opinion, but it's hardly a controversial stand that would warrant such a step! #UninstallUnacademy

Karan Sangwan video that started it all ??
pic.twitter.com/wlKypTh46A

— Cow Momma (@Cow__Momma) August 17, 2023

“It's really a shame.. a person is penalised for using his fundamental right to express himself.. To express his opinion.......They wanted educated teachers for their academy but educated leaders are not preferred !!,” commented another Twitter user.

It's really a shame.. a person is penalised for using his fundamental right to express himself.. to express his opinion.......They wanted educated teachers for their academy but educated leaders are not preferred !!#UninstallUnacademy pic.twitter.com/sSNd965Qgo

— ????????️❥????✰ᵇᵘⁿⁿʸ✰ (@Suvarna_17) August 17, 2023