Why private schools in UP were shut on August 8

All private schools in Uttar Pradesh remained closed on August 8 as an expression of solidarity with a school principal and teacher in Azamgarh, who were arrested following the death of a student from jumping off their school’s building on July 31. The decision of closure was taken by the Unaided Private School Association (UPSA) in the state.

The parents and relatives of the 17-year-old girl had lodged a protest with the school management and filed a police complaint. The police said the girl’s family alleged that she faced harassment by the principal and the teacher.

The arrests were questioned by the UPSA, which has sought a fair investigation. “This symbolic protest (August 8) is meant to seek a proper investigation into the case. If the accused are found guilty, then action must be taken. But if the student has taken a wrong step, it should be thoroughly probed,” said Anil Agarwal, president, UPSA, Uttar Pradesh. “If a student takes any wrong step, why should the entire blame fall on the school management, the principal, or any teacher?”

Another senior functionary of the UPSA called for a robust mechanism to ensure protection of school employees from undue harassment in the form of incorrect cases. “Our main objection in the case of the Azamgarh school is that the principal and teacher were arrested without conducting an inquiry,” he said.

While private schools, estimated to be 10,000 in number with some 5 million students, remained closed on August 8, government schools in the state functioned as usual. A senior UP official said this was probably the first time in recent years that the UPSA had taken such a united stance against the state administration. UPSA representatives had also met officials in the Chief Minister’s Office to put forth their stance on the Azamagarh incident.

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