Nearly all students have been pulled out of a government school in Karnataka’s Chamarajanagar district after a Dalit woman was appointed as the head cook.
The incident took place at the Government Higher Primary School in Homma village. The school originally had 22 students enrolled this year, but now only one student remains. Parents of 21 students have either taken Transfer Certificates (TCs) or applied for them, moving their children to other schools.
Sources said that the problem began after a Dalit woman was made the head cook. Many parents were unhappy with her appointment and reportedly stopped their children from eating the Mid-Day Meals at the school. Only 7 out of 22 students used to eat the food.
Local residents said the real reason children were withdrawn was caste bias. “They didn’t want their children eating food cooked by a Dalit woman,” one villager told reporters.
After the news spread on social media, district officials rushed to the school on Wednesday. They included Chamarajanagar SP B.T. Kavitha, Zilla Panchayat CEO Mona Roat, and education officer Ramachandra Raje Urs.
Parents told CEO Mona Roat that they removed their children because of “poor quality teaching” at the school. However, officials said the issue seems more complex.
Roat said, “The initial reports suggest education quality was the reason, but we’re now getting different stories. Some parents may have had a problem with the cook’s caste. We are looking into it seriously.”
SP Kavitha said, “We will investigate fully. If there was untouchability or caste-based discrimination, strict action will be taken.”
Officials managed to convince eight parents to re-enroll their children, but most students are still out. Authorities have promised to assign better teachers and improve the school’s condition.
The school still has two teachers and just one student attending. The parents of that child have also asked for a transfer.
