BENGALURU: Chitradurga MP Govind Karjol’s remarks on engaging schoolchildren in cleaning campuses, including toilets, has become a talking point among stakeholders. While stakeholders agree that the dignity of labour is a lesson that children ought to be taught, they caution that it should not lead to caste discrimination and gender stereotyping.
At a Teachers’ Day event, Karjol said: “What is wrong if students wash toilets in schools? In Japan, teachers and students clean toilets.When I was studying, we used to sweep and clean our hostel.”
“We have seen videos where teachers make students wash toilets. Action is being taken against them. Giving broom to students is being seen as a crime, due to which the students feel that the work of cleaning is inferior. Instead, it is necessary to teach children about cleanliness,” he said.
“There is nothing wrong in getting the toilets cleaned by students using the following caveats. All students should be involved by rotation. There should be no discrimination. Teachers should lead this exercise by rotation, including head teachers and male teachers. Only students of class 5 and above, with a minimum age of 11 years, should be involved. Toilets should have assured tap water facility and children should not be expected to carry water from nearby sources,” explained Seetharamu M S, former professor at Institute for Social and Economic Change.
Adding that this should be done in all schools — govt and aided as a rule, he said that the cleaning should be supplemented every weekend by pourakarmikas with payment. “Sex typing should be avoided. This should be treated as a routine activity,” he added.
‘Let kids do what they have to’
Niranjanaradhya VP, educationist, said that the issue is not as simple as it looks. “Being a representative of the Dalit community, Karjol’s statement is astonishing. It is easy to say children should clean toilets, but finally, it would fall upon children from the Dalit community. That is what we have seen, and there is no dearth of anecdotes. Where is the mechanism for monitoring the activity? The state should not escape from the responsibility of providing minimal facilities at the school, so that students can do what they are meant to do,” he said.
Poorva Ranade, psychologist, commented that while the intention to teach children the dignity of labour is good, the process needs to be scrutinised. “The message he wants to convey is that there is no job big or small. But if they want to inculcate this habit, role modelling is the best method. Let teachers do it first. When you walk the talk, it is the best means to teach students. While the message is welcome, executing it, ensuring no controversy, is a challenge,” she said.
