Kolkata: A temporary male teacher at Adarsha Balika Vidyalaya, Cossipore, has been suspended following allegations of inappropriate touching of female students. Several students and their guardians have lodged complaints against the individual.
The school, a government-aided Hindi medium higher secondary institution in Tala, Chitpur, has approximately 1,200 students. On February 20, guardians lodged complaints with the headmaster, claiming that the teacher had inappropriately touched students during computer classes.
Sources said that the accused is a temporary teacher appointed by the school authorities. He also works as an ICT teacher at another government school. In response to the complaints, a staff council meeting was held on February 21 and senior teachers conducted an internal investigation. Some students admitted feeling uncomfortable in the presence of the accused teacher and alleged inappropriate touching.
To ensure student safety, the staff council issued guidelines instructing all teachers, irrespective of gender, to avoid physical contact with students. It was also decided to review CCTV footage for further investigation. As the school is government-aided, appointments are made by the school’s secretary, who was informed of the incident. However, when the secretary visited on February 22, the accused teacher was absent and attempts to contact him were unsuccessful. Meanwhile, some guardians had already approached the local police station.
The matter has been reported to the School Education department, which has sought a detailed action-taken report from the school authorities. The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) has also demanded detailed information regarding the allegations.
WBBSE president Ramanuj Ganguly said: “We have already sought information and a report regarding the incident and will act accordingly after receiving it. No such incident will be tolerated. Appropriate action will be taken.”