Bengal school separates boys and girls to avoid harassment
When complaints about harassment from the girl students became difficult to handle, authorities of a 159-year-old school in West Bengal came up with a way out: they began holding classes for boys and girls on separate days.
This unusual move of keeping the students separated from each other as a means to tackle the problem of harassment of the girls was taken by the authorities of Barhra High School, affiliated to West Bengal Council for Higher Secondary Education.
As per the arrangement, in place for the past 15 days, while the boys attend the classes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, classes for the girls are conducted on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The arrangement is for students of Class 11 (which has 130 girls and 95 boys) and Class 12 (127 girls and 87 boys).
“After getting several complaints from the students that the boys create disturbances , we were forced to take the decision... in a meeting with the managing committee,” principal Kanchan Adhikari said. “It is a temporary decision. If students change their attitude, we will withdraw the measure,” the principal added.
The district inspector of schools, however, disapproved of the measure.
“I am not aware of any such step. But if it is true, we will take necessary steps,” said Rejaul Haque, district inspector (secondary education), Birbhum.
Many students and guardians have since begun asking how will the syllabus be completed if the number of classes are reduced by half. Teachers admit they have to teach the same lessons twice. “We are aware it will be difficult to complete the syllabus. But what do we do? Even after warnings, the troublemakers did not mend their ways,” a teacher said.
Jamaluddin Ahmed, former headmaster of the school, however, said: “I taught in the school for more than 35 years. I am surprised to know that the authority has now taken such a strange decision.”