The heads of two schools in Jadavpur were transferred on Monday after students turned up with guardians to collect rice and potato in violation of a government directive, an official of the school education department said.
The government has made it clear in its circulars that “no students should come to the schools” and only the guardians of the primary and upper primary sections could gather at designated assembly points on Monday to collect items under the mid-day meal scheme, an official said.
Parimal Bhattacharya, the headmaster of Jadavpur Vidyapith, and Kaji Masum Akhtar, the headmaster of Katjunagar Swarnamayee Vidyapith, were transferred, the official said. The two have been transferred as headmasters of north Calcutta schools.
Bhattacharya said a student of Class VII accompanied her mother to the school to collect rice and potato because the woman was unwell and would not be able to carry the items. “Both the mother and the daughter came wearing masks. When we came to know that a student had come, we reprimanded both the student and the guardian. The student was asked to go home. When an official of the school education department contacted me about the incident, I explained everything. I have no knowledge about the transfer,” he said.
Akhtar said some students in the primary and upper primary sections accompanied their guardians so they could help them carry the items on cycles. “None of the teachers came to school today to distribute rice and potato. A non-teaching employee and I were the only ones present. So, it was not possible to immediately track whether students had come,” he said.
“When we spotted the students, we asked them to leave the campus. I have explained everything to the department. I have not received any transfer order.”
The two teachers were transferred for disobeying the government directive, education minister Partha Chatterjee said.