A district education officer termed the incident shameful.
Angry at parents not paying fees, the principal of a school in UP’s Siddharthnagar district made more than 50 students sit in the scorching sun outside the gate. He also shot a video warning the parents that while he would allow the students in this time, every defaulter would be sent home in the future until the fees were paid.
The video from Shyamraji High School in Siddharthnagar’s Itwa has now gone viral, sparking outrage on social media. Terming the incident shameful, the district inspector of schools has said that he will investigate whether the school is registered and take appropriate action.
In the two-minute video, young boys and girls can be seen sitting crammed onto the path leading to the school gate, with fields on both sides, and hiding their faces to avoid being identified and shamed.
The principal Shailesh Kumar Tripathi can be heard saying in Hindi, “All of you parents had been warned not to send your kids to school unless the fees were deposited, but you don’t listen. You send them to school to trouble me. These are all defaulters and I have kept them out of the gate today. This is the last time… I am giving you a strict warning… If you are feeling bad you are responsible for it, not me.”
“The bank has imposed a Rs 50,000 fine on me and you will not pay even Rs 5 extra as fees. I cannot take this load. If fees are not paid by the 15th of every month, a fine of Rs 5 will be imposed per day. Whoever can follow this rule can send their children here and if you don’t, you can keep them at home. I am saddened and worried by fees not being paid, there is pressure on me… I have been declared a defaulter and the bank has said I will never get even a 1-rupee loan for the rest of my life. I am taking pity and letting them (the students) in for the last time. If they come to the school again without paying fees, they will be sent home,” he warned.
‘Fees Unpaid For Years’
When reporters reached out to Mr Tripathi after the outrage, he said he was sorry if anyone felt bad but he had no choice because the school was owed amounts ranging between Rs 10,000 and lakhs per student.
“I don’t support making students sit in the sun, it was done for two minutes to shoot the video. We have reminded parents a number of times, but we get no response. This must be the reality in most rural schools. Parents tell us they will pay in a month or two but there are some students whose fees have not been paid for four years,” he claimed.
“I had only put the video in the parents’ group to share information. Some parent shared it on social media. I apologise if anyone felt bad, but only we know the troubles we are facing. I had to convey the message, I couldn’t possibly call every parent to the school,” the principal added.
Investigation Underway
The inspector of schools in Siddharthnagar said the viral video had come to his notice.
“It is shameful that this happened. We are trying to find out if the school is registered. Initial investigation points to it not being registered with us. We will take action after conducting an inquiry,” he said.
