Hyderabad: A private school in Hyderabad has terminated a teacher after she allegedly assigned religious homework to a Class 2 student, triggering protests by parents and political leaders. The school management said the assignment was issued in error and has permanently barred the teacher from future employment within the institution’s education group.
The incident occurred at Success – The School in Sayeedabad, where teacher Shaik Aisha Parveen was accused of asking a Hindu student to read and memorise Islamic prayers as homework.
Teacher dismissed, barred from future employment
The school issued a termination order dated July 15, dismissing the teacher from service following a complaint lodged at the Sayeedabad Police Station.
In the termination letter, the management stated that the teacher had also been permanently disqualified from seeking employment in any institution under the Success Group of Education Institutions.
The school said the disciplinary action was taken after reviewing the complaint and the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Homework sparked controversy
According to media reports, a Class 2 Hindu student was allegedly assigned homework to recite and memorise the Kalma and Surah Fatiha.
The entries reportedly appeared in the student’s school diary under the subject “Deeniyath”, which refers to Islamic religious studies.
Reports indicate that the homework entry “Read Kalma” had initially been written and later struck off, while another entry directing the student to “Read Surah Fatiha” was recorded on July 15.
The issue came to light after the student’s parents noticed the homework and raised objections with the school management.
School calls it an inadvertent mistake
The school management maintained that the incident was an inadvertent mistake.
According to the management, the majority of students in the concerned section are Muslims who study Deeniyath as part of their curriculum.
The school clarified that the subject is not meant for non-Muslim students and said the Hindu student had mistakenly received the homework intended for others.
Following the complaint, the management apologised and terminated the teacher.
Parents raise objections
Parents questioned the school over how a non-Muslim student came to receive religious homework meant for another subject.
The management acknowledged the error and assured the parents that corrective measures had been taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Following the action against the teacher, the matter was addressed by the school administration.
BJP workers stage protest
The incident also drew political attention, with BJP workers staging a protest outside the school premises.
Hyderabad police detained several protesters to prevent any disturbance to law and order.
Independent MLA T Raja Singh Lodh criticised the incident and urged the Telangana government to take strict action against schools that allegedly compel Hindu students to recite Islamic prayers.
Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar also condemned the incident, describing it as unacceptable and calling for stringent action against the school management.
He warned that failure to address such incidents could lead to similar controversies elsewhere in the state.
Police monitoring the situation
Police have been monitoring the situation following the protests.
The incident has sparked debate over the handling of religious instruction in educational institutions and the need to ensure that students are assigned subjects in accordance with school policies and parental consent.
The school has maintained that the issue arose due to an administrative error and reiterated that appropriate disciplinary action has already been taken against the teacher.
