What is cooking in school classrooms in Telangana?

Hyderabad: Does the State School Education Department (SSED) remain a bystander to developments shaping an uneasy calm brewing in several schools across the State?

Conflicting trends emerged following an incident in Kotagiri Zilla Parishad High School in Nizamabad district.

The teachers' unions demand action against the other religious organisations finding fault with some teachers, charging that they are crossing their brief by bringing what is cooking and tending outside world into the classrooms.

The Upadhyaya Sanghala Porata Committee (UPSPC) has written letters seeking intervention of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar in taking stringent action against some members of BJP, VHP and Bajrang Dal for attacking a Telugu teacher in the Kotagiri ZP High School. It has also submitted representations to State Education Secretary Vakati Karuna and Director-General of Police Anjani Kumar.

Complaining that the teacher was attacked for no fault of his and accusing he had insulted Hindu gods and goddesses, they had forced him to apologise. In turn, the situation left teachers in the State lacking freedom to teach lessons. They also demanded protection for the teacher, said USPC steering committee members K Jangaiah Y Ashok Kumar T Linga Reddy.

They stated in their representation "if such attacks continue, teachers would not be in a position to teach students in line with Article 51(A) of the Constitution to instill scientific temper as part of teaching lessons and to make student comprehend teaching about constitutional rights, religious freedom, religious tolerance, scientific ideas, superstitious practices and the like. However, on the other, Hindu organisations accuse some teachers of trying to run down the practices, traditions and culture of people belonging to their religion in the grab of scientific spirit, atheism and the Constitution.

Speaking to The Hans India, Ravin Kiran, father of a Class 10 student studying in a government school in Malkajgiri said, "questions raised by his son at home after being taught a non-detailed lesson are strange and distasteful." He found fault with the casual manner in which some teachers handle lessons.

TSTUF general secretary Chava Ravi said teachers have to teach a Telugu non-detail to students on what moral principles they can draw from Lord Rama. However, "We don't support teachers making sarcastic remarks or making insensitive comments while teaching lessons that are related to sensitivities of people. At the same time, teachers should have the freedom to make students comprehend when teaching a lesson on superstitious practices, developing a scientific outlook.

When contacted a senior official from the district education office of Hyderabad expressed his inability to say whether those who are teaching lessons from Ramayana or Mahabharata or lessons with topics associated to enthuse them are trained in relevant subject areas.

According to sources, teachers are neither trained in the language and literary theories of appreciation or criticism, constitutional thought, science methodologies and their evolution, as well as ancient Indian philosophy. The Telangana State Council of Educational Research and Training (TSCERT) is not bothered to update the teaching methods of various lessons and subjects incorporating new latest research data available.

Some teachers get influenced by outside ongoing battles between organisations of conflicting ideologies and taking them into classrooms, thus creating further unpleasant situations.