CHENNAI: A survey carried out by the Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front (TNUEF) shows that caste discrimination is still very much prevalent in schools across the state. The exercise, which was carried out in 441 schools, showed that Dalit students were made to clean toilets in 15 schools, apart from various types of discrimination being practised while serving noon meals in schools.The survey was held in the backdrop of the incident in Nanguneri where a Dalit student and his sister were brutally attacked by the boy’s classmates who are from the dominant caste.
As part of the survey, 250 trained volunteers spoke to 664 students (448 students from the SC community, 68 SCA students, 46 MBC, 41 BC, 19 ST students and 1 upper caste) in classes 6 to 12 in 321 government schools, 58 government-aided schools and 62 private schools. About 70% of the students surveyed were from families that don’t own lands and 30% didn’t have own houses. Of the 50% that own houses, families live in huts or tiled roof houses. Because the respondents were children, the survey took place in the form of conversations.
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