Education Or Exploitation? Karnataka Government School Students Made To Wash Mid-Day Meal Plates Near Open Drain, Viral Image Sparks Outrage On Social Media

A Viral image captured on a phone by a government primary school in Alabal village, Bagalkot district, Karnataka has caused massive uproar after it depicted young learners squatting by an open drain in the village washing their mid day meal plates using water supplied by a neighbouring pipe. The raw picture did not take long to circulate on social media, attracting stinging commentary among parents, locals and children rights advocates who argue that it shows a blatant absence of basic sanitation and hygiene facilities in state institutions. 

Karnataka Government School Students Made To Wash Mid-Day Meal Plates Near Open Drain, Viral Image Sparks Outrage On Social Media

Parents of the students and people living in the village have charged school authorities and the School Development and Monitoring Committee (SDMC) with negligence. A lot of people believe that it is not reasonable and even not safe to expect students to keep their hygiene when there are no basic facilities at their disposal. Others have even been intimidated to take the issue to the higher government authorities in case the infrastructure is not enhanced at once. As a reaction to the viral outrage, the Karnataka state commission on protection of child rights (KSCPCR) has stepped in and filed a suo motu complaint against the headmaster of the school as the culprit and they have ordered investigation of the incident by the Bagalkote district administration and they have held those who had created such poor conditions in the school to account.

What Now? 

Authorities who paid a visit to the school earlier explained that there are special drinking and washing areas, but they did admit that there was a problem as identified by the photo and social response. The inspection has been commissioned and senior education officials as well as the District Child Protection Office have been asked to provide a detailed report. The headmaster and SDMC members have also been given show cause notices by local authorities due to poor facilities available including exposure of children to contamination and unhygienic environment.

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