Class 8 menstruating Tamil Nadu student forced to write exam outside classroom, school principal suspended
A video of the incident has gone viral on social media, prompting action from school education authorities.
A private school in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore district forced a student of Class 8 to sit outside of the class while writing her examination, reportedly because she was menstruating. A video of the incident, which shows the girl sitting outside the class on a staircase to write her exam, has gone viral on social media.
In the video, a woman seemingly approaches the girl, reportedly her mother, and is heard asking in Tamil, "Won't they let you take the exam inside the class if you attained puberty?" reported NDTV.
The girl is heard saying, “The principal asked me to sit here and write the exam.” She added that this was not the first time and that she was made to write another exam at an isolated spot outside the class, the NDTV report added.
The girl in the video is reportedly from a Dalit community. HT.com could not independently verify the video's authenticity.
School principal suspended
The outrage over the video prompted authorities to take action. Tamil Nadu school education minister, Anbil Mahesh, said the principal of the school, located in Senguttaipalayam village near Pollachi in Coimbatore, has been suspended.
The education department authorities have also sought explanation from the management of the school, reported news agency PTI. In a post on X, Anbil Mahesh said, “A departmental inquiry was conducted against the private school. The school principal has been suspended.”
“Oppression of children in any form cannot be tolerated. Dear student, do not sit alone! We are here. We will be here,” he added.
The girl reportedly started menstruating on April 5 and wanted to write her exams happening this week. Her parents said they asked the school to arrange a separate chair and table for her to write her exams, however, they made her sit outside the classroom.
"We requested the school administration to provide a separate table and chair to help her write the exam. But, the school did not make the arrangement. She was made to sit on the steps outside her classroom and write," PTI quoted the girl’s father as saying.
