SPCSS-TN brainstorms students, parents & teachers on caste atrocities in schools

CHENNAI: To highlight the issues concerning caste-based atrocities involving children, the State Platform for Common School System – Tamil Nadu (SPCSS-TN) organised a seminar involving Students, teachers, and parents in Tenkasi recently.

During the discussion on the topic, the Tamil translation of Annihilation of Caste: Through the Prism of the Constitution of India and other connected writings were presented for brainstorming.

Additionally, the suggestions received during the discussions have also been placed before the State government.

Due to a series of violence reported against students from the oppressed community, the Tamil Nadu government formed a one-man committee under Justice K Chandru to submit a report for addressing caste-based discrimination in educational institutions.

Incidentally, during the discussion, SPCSS-TN had also placed their suggestions to address discrimination targeted at students from oppressed communities.

"The public and the government should understand that it is not the students who themselves involved in caste-based discrimination or violence, it is the elders at various levels who influence the students and make the students believe that they are heroes when they do certain things in the name of their caste," read the statement released by SPCSS-TN.

Further, SPCSS-TN pointed out that reforms and attitudinal changes should begin from the level of administrators and academic heads of educational institutions.

"If the heads, teachers, and staff at various levels exhibit a casteist attitude, it naturally influences the students. Issue of caste-based atrocities cannot and should not be seen at the level of students alone," the statement added.

Importantly, the discussion also highlighted that the provisions of reservations and scholarships for reserved categories are not caste-based.

"It is based on deprivation suffered through generations. The reservation is for social and educational backwardness. As long as caste remains, social segregation and discrimination will also remain. Sitting within a caste people cannot come out of social and educational backwardness," the statement from SPCSS-TN stressed.

Further, during the discussion, the call for sensitisation programmes among heads, teachers, and managers of educational institutions is mandatory to make them realise that caste is a discriminatory social practice and against the provisions of the Constitution of India, more particularly, the fundamental right.