India: Noida teacher sacked after she chops off students' hair to discipline them

A private school teacher in Noida was terminated after she “symbolically” cut the hair of her students in disciplinary action against them. The incident happened on Wednesday at Shanti International School located in Sector 168. Police took action following the protest staged by wards’ enraged parents on Thursday.

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“Today police were informed about the matter and officials from the local Expressway police station reached the Shanti International School, taking note of the seriousness of the matter. The school management and parents of around 12 students talked the matter out. The school then decided to terminate the services of the teacher immediately,” Additional DCP (Noida) Shakti Mohan Avasthy said.

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According to the police, the teacher was disciplinary in-charge of the school and had been asking the students to get their hair trimmed for several days, but in vain. She later cut their hair to discipline them.

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Later, the school management and parents of the students talked the matter out, Avasthi said. No case, however, was registered as the school and parents resolved the dispute and the parents had decided not to press charges.

Not a first such incident

This is not the first time that teachers have used such drastic methods of punishing students. In March last year, a similar incident was reported from a school in Uttar Pradesh’s Hapur where the principal gave a haircut to 84 students with long hair from Class 9 to 12 during the morning assembly.

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Rajesh Yadav, the principal of the Marwar Inter College School in Hapur, allegedly made the 84 students in a separate line and asked them to sit on their knees before chopping off their hair as a "punishment for breaking school rules".
In the past, child rights bodies in many states have called for an end to such “punishments” and pointed out that public humiliation can negatively impact students’ mental well-being.

(With inputs from agencies)

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