School dress row: Parents threatened to withdraw complaints

Kolkata: Amidst the controversy over the issue of forcing students to remove their leggings at a private English medium school in Birbhum, it is alleged the school authorities at present are threatening some guardians to withdraw their complaints.

Earlier on Monday students wore leggings under their skirts to keep themselves warm as the temperature there has gone down by few degrees.

It is alleged during the school hours, their class teacher scolded the students for wearing leggings, which she claimed did not adhere to the uniform prescribed by the school.

Later she reportedly informed the principal of the school. The principal reportedly instructed the class teacher to ask the students to take off their leggings. It is alleged that following the instruction by the principal, the class teacher alleged asked the students to remove their leggings.

On Tuesday, parents of few of those students went Shantiniketan police station and lodged a complaint.

It is alleged that since the past two days, school authorities are trying to force the guardians to withdraw their complaints. Krishna Murmu, one of the guardians alleged that earlier the principal of the school had threatened her as she protested the move by the school.

On Friday she alleged that the principal along with another staff of the school went to her workplace to threat her. "They are so desperate that they reached my workplace. I did not meet them," said Murmu.

Ananya Chatterjee Chakraborty, chairperson of state Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) on Friday said: "The principal of the school should apologize before the guardians and should not try to force them to withdraw their complaint. State Education Minister Partha Chatterjee has already intervened and I am sure he will definitely take action. We will also act and if necessary we will get in touch with the board to which the school is affiliated."