Sexual harassment will cost teachers their job

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Sexual harassment will cost teachers their job

Male teachers facing allegations of misbehaving and harassing their girl students and women colleagues face stringent measures including summary suspension and criminal cases.

In a recent circular, the department of public instructions has detailed the measures that would be taken against male teachers who sexually abuse or harass their girl students and women colleagues. The tainted teachers would be immediately suspended and criminal cases instituted against them. If their offence is proved, the teachers would be dismissed, the circular, sent to all district and taluk level education officials, has said.

“Besides instituting criminal cases, we have also decided to conduct departmental inquiries into such.The accused will also be kept under suspension,” said an official from the department.

Officials said instances of sexual harassment in schools were increasing. “Unfortunately, we have not received written complaints from victimised students or their parents.But we know through the media that such incidents have happened,” another official said.

Primary and secondary education minister, Vishveshwar Hegde Kageri, said, “I have not received any complaints regarding sexual harassment by teachers. But the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has met me and discussed the issue. I later brought the discussion to the notice of my department, who then issued the circular.”

Sources in the education department said that they did not have any statistics in this regard. But KSCPCR members said the panel was hearing five complaints of sexual abuse in schools.

“The complaints are mostly oral. Students don’t come forward to file complaints. Unless the education department initiates severe action against such teachers, the cases go unnoticed,” said Mamatha MR, member, KSCPCR.

KSCPCR members, however, are sceptical over the circular. The department should file FIRs against teachers facing sexual harassment charges in case of oral complaints too, they said.

The commission members said such incidents were being reported frequently from schools in both urban and rural areas. “While such behaviour would not be tolerated in urban areas, victims in rural areas would not even know where to complain,” Mamatha explained.

She also suggested that the department ensure that all schools implement the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan norm on setting up three-member school development committees (SDMCs) which have the mandate to investigate sexual harassment complaints.