The school education and literacy department in Karnataka has issued an order banning the use of students to clean toilets in Karnataka, following reports of at least three such incidents in the last two weeks.

Under fire from the Opposition after the incidents emerged on social media before being reported in mainstream media, the government body issued a circular warning heads of institutions of stringent punitive action if they failed to comply with the order.

The department directed heads of institutions to make sure children should be engaged only in academics, sports and other such extra-curricular activities.

The instructions follow recent controversies in three different schools where students were forced to clean a soak pit and toilets.

Chief minister Siddaramaiah had recently directed primary education minister Madhu Bangarappa and social welfare minister H.C. Mahadevappa to take necessary action to prevent such incidents in the future. He had also asked Bangarappa to ensure adequate cleaning staff are employed at schools while taking serious note of the incidents.

In the most recent incident, the headmaster of a government school in Shimoga, the home district of the primary education minister, was suspended for getting students to clean toilets.

The incident shocked Bangarappa as it happened even after the minister’s stern warning to teachers and school authorities after two such incidents were reported. In the first incident, the principal and a teacher of a residential school for the underprivileged in Kolar district were arrested for forcing students, some of them Dalits, to clean a soak pit, while in the second incident, the headmistress of a government school in Bangalore North was held for engaging students to clean toilets.

The circular pointed out that engaging students in cleaning toilets is highly condemnable and a punishable act and warned of stern action against the school authorities.

It further noted that government schools have been allocated school maintenance funds, which should be utilised to clean toilets and keep them hygienic. While Rs 20,000 per year is paid for schools with at least 50 students, Rs 28,000 is given to schools with 50 to 100 students, Rs 33,000 for schools with 100 to 500 students and Rs 45,000 for schools with over 500 students as maintenance funds.

The circular also directed department officials to make periodic visits to schools to ensure the washrooms are clean and separate toilets are maintained for boys and girls.

Jurisdictional field educational officers and deputy directors of administration in each zone will be held responsible if such violations of child rights are allowed to happen.

The local authorities have also been instructed to keep a vigil on private aided and unaided schools as well to make sure they too comply with the circular.