The Haryana minister for education Ram Bilas Sharma, who is known for his controversial statements has yet again created one by saying that male teachers in their forties or younger should not opt for jobs at girls’ schools, a move purportedly linked to women’s safety.
Sharma said, “The educational institutions for boys and girls were the same in the past and were separated following the recommendations of Swami Dayanand Saraswati. He has written in his book Satyarth Prakash that schools of boys and girls should be different and it was followed across the country.”
“Any teacher who did not complete 50 years as on June 30, 2016, should not opt for girls’ schools. Even if any teacher still opts for girls’ schools, he would not be considered for transfer, according to the policy,” Sharma said.Sharma who is an active member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, RSS has taken this decision based on “natural Hindu philosophy of life” where a where a girl after a certain age needs special precautions and also on fears that they may be attracted towards their teachers. In a bid to turn schools into “RSS labs” this is another attempt that according to him is to create a healthy atmosphere for girls so they are not “distracted”.
This is not the first time that he has created such a furor as earlier too the minister had directed the schoolteachers to not wear jeans to work as they are role models for the students and they must display “discipline” in what they wear.”
Defending himself on the move, the education minister, however, said the guidelines were not based on the assumption that male teachers have malicious intent and were, in fact, an effort to create a healthy environment inside educational institutions. Also, specifying his plans for the future he said, “There is no need to apply such a decision at the college level as girls’ colleges mostly have female teachers. We have prioritised the transfer of female professors in girls colleges and we will do the same at high and middle school level.”
