Kamakhyanagar: Even as the state government has declared schools as punishment free zones by banning corporal punishment, students of a private school are being coerced to do farm labour at Mahulapal village under this block in Dhenkanal district, a report said.
Students of Ramakrushna Adarsh Vidyalaya in Mahulpal village where found planting paddy saplings on a farmland when reporters visited the school after receiving complaints from guardians and a tribal outfit Adivasi Kranti Sangathan Wednesday.
The students, on noticing the reporters, ran away from the spot refusing to comment on the issue. Fear was quite visible on their faces as they alleged that any refusal to plant saplings would result in assault by teachers.
The school authorities, however, feigned ignorance on the development and refused to comment.
Sources said students of the school are being forced by school authorities to do farm work and other menial jobs much against their will. They are not even given proper food by the authorities.
Recently, a girl Malha Tudu of Gangamunda under Kankadahada block was reportedly tortured in a similar fashion by the school authorities for which her father Gobind Tudu took her back home four days back.
However, the school authorities did not mend their ways as they were found to have engaged three children in planting paddy saplings on a farmland adjoining the school.
The students were identified as Jema Munda of Bangaramunda village in Keonjhar district, Phula Tudu of Kantapal village under Kankadahada block and Prakash Munda of Keonjhar district.
Apprehending trouble, Prakash fled from the spot while Jema was in tears as she narrated her ordeal before the reporters. She alleged the school authorities were forcing them to do all sorts of menial works and were not giving them proper food. She could not speak anything more as she ran away with tears rolling down her cheeks.
Phula said they are being forced to plant saplings during day time and a slight denial results in retaliation by teachers. She also alleged the school authorities threatened to rusticate her if she divulged the matter before her family.
On being informed, Kamakhyanagar block education officer Ajay Kumar Patra asked ABEO Abhimanyu Padhiari to conduct a probe and report to him on the incident. Padhiari is learnt to have conducted a probe and informed the district child protection officer about it.
Patra said the school is functioning without securing the approval of the state government. The fraud recently came to light when the school authorities claimed the school had 150 students on its rolls while in reality it has 45 students, he added. PNN
