Protest against suspension of teachers

KOZHIKODE: A group of teachers and non-teaching staff of Kendriya Vidyalaya No 1, East Hill here staged a protest gathering in front of the school gate against the suspension of five teachers who boycott the annual academic inspection committee meeting and the installation of surveillance cameras in school buildings on Saturday.Teachers gathered in front of the school gate around 11.40 am and raised slogans against the move of the authorities to suspend five teachers. All India Kendriya Vidyalaya Teachers Association Chennai Region secretary C K B Kurup addressed the meeting. The protest meeting demanded cancellation of suspension order and removal of surveillance cameras fixed in the school buildings.Association leaders said that they had informed School Principal Maya George about their displeasure over installing 16 surveillance cameras in the school. But the higher authorities disregarded this and suspended five teachers, all top office-bearers of the association.  “We had already informed that the teachers would boycott the annual academic inspection committee meeting held on October 21, as Kendriya Vidyalaya Chennai Region has issued a circular that any meeting or activity should be completed within school hours,” said a teacher of the school. “The lady teachers and girl students had expressed their displeasure over the installation of cameras as there were chances to misuse the images recorded in them. There were no discussions on this matter in staff meeting. The fund was taken from Vidyalaya Vikas Nidhi, which was collected from the students and meant for their welfare,” said another teacher who participated in the protest meeting.After the break time, the protesting people dispersed and returned to duty. They all had worn black badges as part of the protest. The protest meeting continued at 2.40 after the end of classes.School Principal Maya George said that the suspension order was issued to five senior teachers of the school by Kendriya Vidyalaya Chennai Regional Deputy Commissioner N R Murali for their absence in the annual academic inspection committee meeting. “I hadn’t received any notice or messages from teachers and other staff about the protest,” said Maya George. Over 3,000 students and 120 staffs were in this school. The installation of surveillance cameras was aimed only at the security of the appliances in the school and the reason for protesting against this measure was unknown. I got any complaints from the protesting staffs against surveillance cameras till this day, added Maya George.