Mohali school turns ‘salon of torment’

Kulwinder Sangha

Mohali, September 15

A government school here turned into a salon with boys being given weird haircuts by their seniors during school hours, causing humiliation to the victims. Some of the boys were compelled to get their heads tonsured on leaving school to avoid attracting attention with their patchy and shabby haircuts, given by two “student barbers”. Two of the affected students were seen today with their heads covered, one donning a cap and the other with a handerkerchief tied on his head.

The fathers of two of the students have demanded the transfer of the teacher in charge of Government Middle School, Phase VII, for the treatment meted out to their children. Abhishek, a Class VII student, whose father works as a peon with an advertisement firm, claimed today that most of the boys of classes VI to VIII were made to sit in a row in the school yesterday. Two boys of Class VIII had a pair of scissors each and were asked to give a haircut to those seated.

He said hair was cut in a patchy and untidy manner and many of the boys felt embarrassed while coming back home. Some of them covered their heads with handkerchiefs or schoolbags while returning. He said the boys who were given a haircut were also allegedly asked to bring Rs 10 each to the school for it.

Prem Shankar, father of Abhishek and his twin brother Abhinash, said both his sons felt embarrassed while coming home. He said boys in the school had been asked by teachers on Monday to get their hair cut.

He said his sons had got a haircut about 10 days ago and their hair was not very long. Moreover, it was difficult to get a haircut on Tuesdays. 

Another resentful student, Sukhdev, said “Mere bal paglon jaise kaat diye”. He said he had to get his head tonsured later. His father, Ram Pal, who works in the Punjab Secretariat in Chandigarh, said the boys’ looks had been ruined by the so-called haircuts and they were made to look like prisoners. “I was compelled to spend Rs 600 on buying three caps for my son as he felt embarrassed moving around with his head tonsured,” he added.

Another victim, Ajay, whose father works as a washerman, was also upset with the treatment at his school. He was seen covering his tonsured head with a handkerchief today. 

Prem Shankar and Ram Pal said they had met teachers at the school, who, they claimed, “apologised” for the action. They both demanded that the teacher in charge of the school should be transferred. 

Harpreet Kaur, teacher in charge of the school, said nothing of the sort had happened in the school.

However, other teachers said most boys came with odd haircuts from home which adversely affected the school discipline. The intention was good and the action was aimed  at disciplining the students. 

The District Education Officer concerned, Surinder Singh Sidhu, said he would visit the school tomorrow and get a report in this regard. Strict action would be taken in the matter if anybody was found guilty, he added.