2 Dec, 2006 Times News Network
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BANGALORE: A teacher has become the whistle-blower of the education department to expose schools which are siphoning off foodgrains under the mid-day meal scheme by faking attendance. The modus operandi of the schools is rather simple: If there are 40 students enrolled in a class, the attendance register will have 50 to 55 students. The additional 10 to 15 students do not exist. They are 'enrolled' to get additional foodgrains which are pocketed by the school staff.
P Asha Kumari, an assistant teacher at the government model primary school, Jakkur, in Yelahanka, has told the Lok Ayukta that the principal and teachers were giving attendance to students, who had either left the school or simply did not exist. "When the children remained absent for more than a fortnight, I grew suspicious and checked the address of the students. While some had left the city, some names were just fake. I was asked to mark attendance for them, which I refused," she told TOI.
Subsequently, when the Lok Ayukta conducted a probe, it indicted four persons in the school for misappropriation.
But that's when trouble began for Asha Kumari. She was harassed by her colleagues,who she claimed did not allow to carry-out her routine work. "They would ask students to shout slogans against me and they would unnecessarily find fault with my work," she said. Such was the harassment that Upa Lok Ayukta Justice G Patri Basavana Goud wrote to primary education secretary T M Vijaybhaskar in May 2006 urging him to transfer her to another school.
"It is unfortunate that a teacher who came forward to give information and who was instrumental in unearthing a major scandal is being harassed. I request you to transfer her," the letter said. In June 2006, the department transferred her from the Yelahanka school to the government primary school in Cholanayakahalli.
"It was the same story here too. Fake attendance and students. The school knew that I was transferred because I exposed misappropriation. They began threatening me. I am being harassed again" she said.
Following a complaint on November 17, 2006, the Lok Ayukta has now issued notices to the Cholanayakahalli school too, seeking explanation.
SMS NEWS to 8888 for latest updates
BANGALORE: A teacher has become the whistle-blower of the education department to expose schools which are siphoning off foodgrains under the mid-day meal scheme by faking attendance. The modus operandi of the schools is rather simple: If there are 40 students enrolled in a class, the attendance register will have 50 to 55 students. The additional 10 to 15 students do not exist. They are 'enrolled' to get additional foodgrains which are pocketed by the school staff.
P Asha Kumari, an assistant teacher at the government model primary school, Jakkur, in Yelahanka, has told the Lok Ayukta that the principal and teachers were giving attendance to students, who had either left the school or simply did not exist. "When the children remained absent for more than a fortnight, I grew suspicious and checked the address of the students. While some had left the city, some names were just fake. I was asked to mark attendance for them, which I refused," she told TOI.
Subsequently, when the Lok Ayukta conducted a probe, it indicted four persons in the school for misappropriation.
But that's when trouble began for Asha Kumari. She was harassed by her colleagues,who she claimed did not allow to carry-out her routine work. "They would ask students to shout slogans against me and they would unnecessarily find fault with my work," she said. Such was the harassment that Upa Lok Ayukta Justice G Patri Basavana Goud wrote to primary education secretary T M Vijaybhaskar in May 2006 urging him to transfer her to another school.
"It is unfortunate that a teacher who came forward to give information and who was instrumental in unearthing a major scandal is being harassed. I request you to transfer her," the letter said. In June 2006, the department transferred her from the Yelahanka school to the government primary school in Cholanayakahalli.
"It was the same story here too. Fake attendance and students. The school knew that I was transferred because I exposed misappropriation. They began threatening me. I am being harassed again" she said.
Following a complaint on November 17, 2006, the Lok Ayukta has now issued notices to the Cholanayakahalli school too, seeking explanation.
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