UP private schools closed today over teacher, principal’s arrest in girl's suicide case

NEW DELHI: All Uttar Pradesh private schools affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Council for Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE) and the state board will remain closed today, August 8 as per various media reports. The decision has been announced by the Unaided Private School Association (UPSA) as a part of their protest against the arrest of a school principal and teacher in the alleged suicide case of a girl student in Azamgarh's private school.

As no government order has been issued regarding holiday in schools, all government schools in the state will continue their classes as usual, the reports said.

The association has reportedly demanded a proper investigation in the case wherein the principal and a teacher of a school in Azamgarh were arrested after a 17-year-old girl student died by suicide by jumping off the third floor of the school building. The student’s family alleged that she took the step due to frequent harassment by the school principal and teacher.

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The president of the private school association Anil Agarwal told the Indian Express that the police arrested the school principal and teacher and put them in jail “without proper inquiry”. He demanded the formation of a committee to probe such charges against the schools.

Moreover, the Association of Private Schools has appealed to the UP government to bring guidelines under the School Safety Bill for the safety of schools. In a press conference, association president Atul Kumar said that they feel sad over the incident and that state teachers and principals are scared over the arrests in the case. The president went on to say that parents threaten to file a First Information Report (FIR) over small issues and students do not respect teachers.

"The truth is that today teachers do not say anything to the children because they know that if the child takes any wrong step then the blame will fall on them. In such a situation, the government should very soon bring a school security bill or a government order in this regard, in which it should be clearly mentioned that no one will be arrested without investigating any such incident in the school," the president further said.

On July 31, the police registered an FIR against the school principal and teacher for their involvement in the suicide of the girl student, as per the reports.

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