The headmistress of the panchayat union primary school in Periakurumbartheru village was suspended for conducting class under a tree while using classrooms to dump building materials and broken furniture.
Officials said during the routine inspection on various developmental works in the Alangayam panchayat union, Tirupattur Collector Amar Kushwaha visited Periakurumbartheru village. While inspecting basic infrastructure works, he made a surprise visit to the nearby primary school, where he found around 35 students of Classes IV and V being taught under a tree inside the campus.
Headmistress G. Umamaheshwari claimed that it was due to the poor condition of the school building. The Collector inspected the classrooms and found that a few classrooms were locked. Upon opening, he found that it was filled with building materials and unused items like furniture.
“Safety of students cannot be treated lightly. They are attending school after a long break from classroom learning due to the pandemic,” Mr. Kushwaha told The Hindu. An inquiry by officials from the School Education Department found that the locked classrooms were in good condition. The stored building materials were meant for an anganwadi being built in the campus.
The team also learned that the classrooms were locked for over six months using the school’s closure as an excuse.
Officials said the students had attended classes in the open for at least two months between November and February.
Based on the report, District Educational Officer P. Vedhaprakash suspended the headmistress.
