The decision of the state education department to abstainand sent Anju Chaudhary, Principal of Government Senior Secondary School for Girls,Ropar on forced leave, has not gone down well with the teachers and principalsof the state.
Anju Chaudhary was abstained and sent on forced leave bythe state education department after an old video clip of her purportedlyslapping and manhandling a girl student went viral Monday.
Meanwhile, the Gazetted Education School ServiceAssociation, Punjab standing in support of Anju Chaudhary, has demandedthorough investigation in the matter and said the accusations leveled on her arebaseless.
In the video, the principal was seen chiding the girl onwhy she laughed and then she slaps the girl multiple times, pulls her ears andhair. Other students and a teacher can also be seen in the purported clip.
However, Deepinder Singh Khaira, the President of GazettedEducation School Service Association, Punjab, in a statement said that thevideo is around two years old, and seems like a conspiracy to malign the imageof teachers and principals. He said that Anju Chaudhary is a diligent and hardworking principal and we believe the state education department will do justicein the case.
Khaira said that at present the enrollment drive of governmentschools of Punjab is going on in full swing with children from private schoolsare getting enrolled in government schools. “It is clear that a 18 months old videogetting viral at the time of admissions, indicates a well planned strategy tomalign the image of the government schools”, he added.
He further said that the department must not take anyaction against its hardworking employees in the guise of such mischievousinvasions. He also said that last year Principal Anju Chaudhary and the team workedreally hard to increase the admissions in the school.
The association also appealed that this case beconsidered with great compassion keeping in view the work done by Anju Chaudharyin uplifting the school. Besides, the orders of forced leave must be taken back.
Meanwhile, Gurcharan Singh Chahal, Harmesh Lal Ghera,Amrik Singh, Sukhdev Lal, Satpal Sodhi and other members of GazettedEducational Services Association Punjab, made the same appeal.