This child’s fall while leaving was accidental, but some of his schoolmates took a tumble while entering on Monday because of the hatch gate. (Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya)

The sight of tiny tots taking a tumble on being forced to enter school on Monday through a hatch instead of a proper gate triggered a mutiny of sorts by parents on a south Calcutta campus.

Around 1,000 guardians laid siege to Welland Gouldsmith School at Baishnabghata Patuli, in South 24-Parganas, on the first morning after the summer vacation when some students were allegedly injured trying to get in through the hatch.

The entrance to the school — started around five years ago as an extension of Welland Gouldsmith School in Bowbazar — had apparently been changed for “security reasons”.

“They have closed the original iron gate and installed a new one a few metres to the right, which is fine. But why did they keep only a hatch open for the students to get in? It was terrible to see the students, especially those in the junior classes, trip and topple while hurrying through that small hatch,” said an angry parent.

Guardians who had escorted their wards to school broke open the lock on the new gate and the grille that blocks visitors from the classooms. Classes had begun by then but the parents wouldn’t budge without registering their protest.

“This is not just about a gate, their (the authorities) attitude is wrong. I admitted my daughter here after hearing good things about the Bowbazar school. But this campus is ill-managed,” complained Abhijit Chakraborty, a resident of Sonarpur.

The hatch episode seemed to be the last straw for parents unhappy with the functioning of the Patuli school.

Another parent said the school — which charges Rs 900-950 as monthly fee per student, depending on the class — had made payments through ECS (electronic clearance system) mandatory without consulting the parents’ association even once.

Allegations about corporal punishment were heard, too. “I was asked to bring a cup of tea for my teacher. He beat me with a ruler because I did not go immediately,” said a girl of Class V.

As the allegations mounted and the agitation stretched beyond noon, the school’s management committee — headed by the director of education and chief executive officer Gilian Rosemary Hart — decided to meet eight representatives of the parents.

“The management has promised us that the main gate will be opened from Tuesday and ECS payment will be made optional. They have also agreed to recruit more teachers and improve the quality of education,” said Samiran Majumder, the secretary of the guardians’ forum, after a three-hour meeting.

But Hart said the management was “examining” the demands.

“We have heard the grievances of the parents and are examining their demands. Necessary steps will be taken to ensure that the institution runs smoothly,” she added.