Violence against teachers will not be tolerated: TN Minister Anbil Mahesh

CHENNAI: Condemning the murder of a school teacher in Mallipattinam village of Thanjavur, the School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi said, "Violence against teachers will not be tolerated. Strict action will be taken on the accused."

Also, talking to the media before leaving for Thanjavur, the Minister noted that a holiday will be declared for the school and required counselling will be given to students at the earliest who would have suffered trauma witnessing the incident at the school.

Meanwhile, several members of the teachers' welfare association also condemned the incident and urged the government to ensure the safety of faculties and students on the school premises.

The State Seniority Teachers' Association (SSTA) releasing a statement has announced teachers will go to school on Thursday wearing black armbands to demand the immediate implementation of the Teachers Work Safety Act.

Also, a statement issued by the Tamil Nadu Primary School Teachers' Welfare association read, " The fact that a criminal has the idea that he can walk into a school and kill a teacher easily, even if it is for personal reasons, is a clear indication of the unsafe environment in schools. This inhuman act of brutality reveals the extent to which teachers in Tamil Nadu are working in an unsafe environment."

Further, the Tamil Nadu Primary School Teachers' Association urged the TN government to take appropriate action and give maximum punishment to the accused and also introduce a work safety law for teachers.

"We have called for a work safety Act for teachers for several years now, however, no government has noticed this despite several requests. Hence, we urge the government to swiftly act on such incidents to nip it in the bud," the statement added.