Hyderabad private school teacher terminated over religious homework

ABuck private school day instructor was terminated on th for allegedly assigning practise of Islamic verses as prep to a Class 2 Hindu student in Hyderabad’s Old City, following protests by the child’s parents.The parents, who lodged a complaint with the police on Thursday morning, later withdrew the same after the school management tendered an apology and assured that such incidents would not be repeated in the school.However, the incident triggered strong protests from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which described it as a “education jihad,” while the police detained a group of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activists which tried to stage a sit-in protest near the school demanding its closure.The incident occurred at “Success-The School”, in Saidabad in the old city. A video of the student’s mother arguing with the teacher, identified as Shaik Aisha Parveen, for writing and reciting “Kalma” and “Surah Al-Fatiha” as part of the classroom assignment, went viral on social media.The instructions to recite the Islamic verses were also mentioned in the assignment record of the student, pictures of which also went viral. HT could not independently verify the veracity of the pictures.The mother alleged that her son had been instructed to memorise, write and recite the Kalma and Surah Al-Fatiha as part of a classroom assignment without taking the consent of the parents.“How can you give such an assignment? This is not acceptable. Will you give similar instructions to your children to recite and write Bhagawad Gita sloka?” the mother was heard arguing with the teacher in the video.She claimed the exercise hurt their religious sentiments and confronted the school management, demanding strict action against those responsible.As the controversy escalated, the school principal issued a letter on Wednesday evening terminating the services of Parveen with effect from Thursday. The school stated that she had been permanently disqualified from seeking employment in any institution under the Success Group of Educational Institutions.The dispute was later resolved after the school management apologised to the family. In a letter addressed to the school principal, the student’s father, G Rajasekhar, stated that the family had accepted the apology tendered by the concerned teacher.He expressed confidence that such an incident would not recur. He requested the school authorities to withdraw all complaints relating to the issue and assured the management and teaching staff of the family’s cooperation.Speaking to the media, Charminar Zone Deputy Commissioner of Police K Kiran Prabhakar said the incident had come to the notice of the police after reports surfaced that a teacher had assigned the recitation of the Kalma as homework.“Out of 25 students in the class, 24 were Muslims and one was a Hindu student. It was a complete violation of the education policy as well as the school policy,” the DCP said.He said the school acknowledged that there had been a violation and had terminated the teacher concerned. “The parents said they are satisfied with the action taken and do not wish to proceed further. No FIR has been lodged,” he said.Prabhakar also noted that the school had students and teachers belonging to different faiths. He said the management had initially maintained that the homework was intended only for Muslim students who had opted for a subject relating to Islamic teachings.A representative of the school, who preferred anonymity, said the institution has around 700 students, of whom only seven are Hindus. In the Class 2 section where the incident occurred, there are 25 students, including only one Hindu student.Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao alleged that the incident reflected the Congress government’s minority appeasement policies. He claimed that asking a Hindu student to learn the Kalma and Surah Al-Fatiha amounted to “education jihad.”He argued that removing the teacher alone was insufficient and demanded action against the school management. “Educational institutions should impart education and not impose any religion on students,” he said, calling for a comprehensive investigation, legal action against those responsible and, if necessary, cancellation of the school’s recognition.Union minister of state for home affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar also criticised the school management, describing the assignment as unacceptable. “Attempts were being made to undermine Hindu culture in the schools,” he alleged.The controversy also triggered protests by members of the RSS outside the school on Thursday.“I was arrested by the police at Success School and taken to Kanchanbagh police station simply for asking why an FIR has not yet been registered and why there appears to be an attempt to suppress the case. The law must be applied fairly and impartially, without fear or favour,” RSS member and former BJP legal cell convenor K Karunasagar said.