Jaipur: The state education department will conduct rigorous gender-sensitisation training for teachers after suspending three govt schoolteachers in a week over student complaints of inappropriate physical contact and misconduct.Officials, Tuesday, said the training would stress appropriate boundaries while interacting with students. The department is also considering an anonymous complaint mechanism allowing students to report ‘bad touch’ incidents directly to the headquarters, bypassing school administrations.Additional chief secretary for education Rajesh Yadav said, “The department takes all such complaints very seriously and immediate action is taken against teachers. However, such incidents must not take place in schools.”He added, “Now, rigorous trainings will be conducted as all the burden lies with male teachers and they must be very careful while talking to students.”On Monday night, Sushil Kumar Rinwa, principal of Govt Senior Secondary School, Kadel, Ajmer, was suspended. According to the departmental order, Rinwa allegedly subjected a Class 12 student to inappropriate physical contact and obscene acts. He allegedly showed her obscene photos on a mobile phone on Aug 14. A departmental inquiry has been initiated against him.“POCSO cases are registered against such teachers, and they are not reinstated in regular duty after suspension. All teachers know that there are repercussions, but still such acts continue to happen,” Yadav said, adding that sensitisation would be conducted throughout the year.Officials said complaint boxes are already installed at Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, residential schools for girls. A similar mechanism is being considered for other govt schools.However, officials said complaint boxes alone may not work as principals generally check them. “If the principal supports the accused teacher, then the initiative will not be successful,” an official said, underlining the need for an independent reporting mechanism.
