New Delhi: A boys’ school in Wazirabad run by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) segregated its students into different sections based on their religious identity, a report in the Indian Express said. The official who is in charge of administration claimed the decision was taken to ensure “peace, discipline and a good environment”.
Also Read: Education and Exclusion of Dalits: A History of Hurt and Humiliation
When the Indian Express accessed the school’s attendance register, the names did indeed a show a religious divide.
Class IA: 36 Hindus, IB: 36 Muslims
Class IIA: 47 Hindus, IIB: 26 Muslims and 15 Hindus, IIC: 40 Muslims
Class IIIA: 40 Hindus, IIIB: 23 Hindus and 11 Muslims, IIIC: 40 Muslims, IIID: 14 Hindus and 23 Muslims
Class IVA: 40 Hindus, IVB: 19 Hindus and 13 Muslims, IVC: 35 Muslims, IVD: 11 Hindus and 24 Muslims
Class VA: 45 Hindus, VB: 49 Hindus, VC: 39 Muslims and 2 Hindus, VD: 47 Muslims
The principal of the North MCD Boys’ School in Wazirabad village, Gali Number 9 was transferred on July 2 and C.B. Sehrawat, a teacher who has been put in charge of the school, is said to be behind the reshuffling. A source in the school told the Indian Express that other teachers were not consulted in the process. “He [Sehrawt] initiated these changes and teachers were not consulted in the matter. When some teachers tried to bring it up with him, he responded with aggression and told them that it was none of their concern and that they should do their assigned jobs,” the source said.
Sehrawat, however denied that students were segregated on the basis of religion. Saying reshuffling is a standard procedure, he claimed that the management was trying to see that “there is peace, discipline and a good learning environment in the school”.
He stated that some of the children were fighting, but denied that the fights were on the basis of religion. “Of course children this young don’t know about religion, but they squabble over things. Some children are vegetarian, so there may be differences, and so on. We need to look after the interests of all teachers and students,” he told the Indian Express.
Some teachers had approached the MCD zonal office to bring the issue to the notice of higher authorities, but had not put down their grievance in writing. A senior MCD official stated that the allegations would be probed and if found true, strict action would be taken against those responsible for the segregation.
Parents of children were also unaware of the segregation and expressed shock.
The school in charge denied students were segregated on the basis of religion. Image for representative purposes. Credit: Reuters
Not the first instance
Segregation of students on the basis of their religion has been well documented. In her book Mothering a Muslim: The Dark Secret in Our Schools and Playgrounds, Nazia Erum writes about schools in Bhopal where students are asked to choose between Sanskrit and Urdu and are divided into sections based on the chosen language. Inevitably, the Muslim students choose Urdu and the non-Muslim ones Sanskrit.
Also Read: Growing Up with a Muslim Name, These Are Stories I Recognise
Erum says that the Urdu sections are associated with “trouble maker students” and “non-scorers”.
The book says:
For this reason, Ahmed Sameer wanted to be in the Sanskrit section. On his very first day when the teacher began to take attendance in the familiar rhythm of the Indian roll call, she stopped at his name. Her rhythm was broken and she said, “Ahmed, you’re in the Sanskrit section?”. When he replied saying yes, she said “Ok good…very good”.
The book has documented such instances in other cities as well, including Delhi.
Schools have also been found to segregate students on the basis of caste also. In 2016, a school in UP’s Hathras district segregated Class IX students according to their caste. Enquiries confirmed that Section A of Class IX had general category students, Section B had OBC students while most of the students in Section C were SC students. The principal of the school was accused of introducing the discriminative practice.
Additionally, teachers were also appointed along the lines of their caste. A Dalit teacher was appointed to teach the SC students, a general category one to the general category students and a BC person to the OBC students. The principal was suspended.