In a shocking incident from Tamil Nadu, a viral video has surfaced showing government school students, dressed in uniforms, being forced to carry bricks for construction work under the supervision of their headmaster and teachers in weekend holiday.
The incident took place at a government high school in the Kottamedu area near Kosavampalayam in Thiruvallur district. On Saturday, a designated holiday—three teachers, including the headmaster, reportedly summoned several students to the school and instructed them to transport bricks from the school premises to the construction site.
Following the teachers’ orders, the students proceeded with the task. However, when onlookers recorded the incident on video, the teachers allegedly tried to stop them. Despite their efforts, the footage has now gone viral on social media, sparking widespread criticism.
Speaking to the press, a local woman who raised the complaint shared her observations stating, “I live in Thiruninravur near Kosavanpalayam, and we built our house next to Kotambamedu Government School about five years ago. The school was also constructed around the same time. It has been functioning for four or five years now. Around two years ago, a new male headmaster took charge and we could see his actions are not good, we have been observing things things for past two years. From our house, we can clearly see how the coaching is conducted. Even though we have a compound wall, we still have visibility. He (headmaster) treats students disrespectfully and speaks singular tone towards girl children. Making the girl children to sweep the entrance getting manual labor. He does not prioritize their studies, even during exam time. What happened yesterday was a second Saturday being a government holiday, there were no classes. While some schools conduct additional coaching as exams are going on, it should be education-related. However, he called the students to school and made them carry bricks and soil for construction work. When I noticed this, I questioned them, asking, ‘Why are you doing like this?’ he disrespected me and I asked my husband to intervene. My husband also confronted the headmaster. Instead of addressing our concerns, he spoke to us disrespectfully.”
She continued, “We have warned him multiple times not to do such things. We have also informed local leaders, and all important figures even though everyone questions about this but he doesn’t take it seriously.”
விடுமுறை நாளிலும் மாணவர்களை பள்ளிக்கு வரவழைத்து கட்டுமான பணிக்காக செங்கல் சுமக்க வைத்த ஆசிரியர்?..#Thiruvallur | #school | #Students pic.twitter.com/DFV4KIQKuU
— Polimer News (@polimernews) March 10, 2025
She also claimed that upon realizing the incident was being recorded and could have consequences, the headmaster locked the school and left.
The incident has triggered outrage, with many condemning the school authorities for forcing children into labor instead of focusing on their education. As the video continues to circulate, calls for strict action against the responsible officials have grown louder.
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