New Delhi: Authorities in Bengaluru schools have been left red-faced. They have reason enough to be shocked and embarrassed. A surprise check to curb students from carrying mobile phones to classrooms led them to find condoms, oral contraceptives, lighters, cigarettes and whiteners in the bags belonging to students from Class VIII to X. The surprise check was done across several schools in the city.
According to reports, the entire exercise of checking bags began with several people complaining that students were carrying mobile phones into the classroom. According to a report by Deccan Herald, the Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka (KAMS) asked schools to start checking students’ bags.
After the incident, some schools did parent-teacher meetings “Parents were equally shocked and told us about sudden behavioural changes in children,” the principal of a school in Nagarabhavi was quoted as saying. To handle the situation better, the schools have issued notices to parents and have not suspended the kids. They have also recommended counselling.
“Though we have counselling sessions at schools, we asked parents to seek help for children from outside and granted leave for up to 10 days,” the principal said, claimed the report.
A principal from one of the schools, where the checking was done, said the authorities had a condom in a Class-X girl’s bag. The report said that when the girl was questioned, she blamed her friends.
The checking was conducted in almost 80% of schools. One of the students was even carrying oral contraceptives.