Hyderabad: A private school in Hyderabad's Sayeedabad area has terminated a primary school teacher after allegations surfaced that she assigned Islamic religious recitations as homework to a Class 2 student, triggering protests by parents and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers outside the campus. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.
The controversy began after the family of a Hindu student alleged that the teacher instructed the child to read and memorise the Kalma and Surah Fateha as part of the homework. Images of the student's homework diary circulated on social media, prompting widespread public outrage and a formal complaint at the Saidabad police station.
Responding to the allegations, the school management issued a termination order, dismissing the teacher with immediate effect. The order also stated that she had been permanently debarred from future employment in any institution under the Success Group of Education. School authorities said the action was taken following the complaint and internal review.
The incident quickly took a political turn, with BJP leaders and workers staging protests outside the school, demanding strict action against the institution. Police detained several BJP workers during the demonstration to prevent the situation from escalating. Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar and members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) also criticised the alleged assignment and called for a thorough investigation.
According to police, the Class 2 section reportedly had 25 students, including 24 Muslim students and one Hindu student. Officials said they are verifying the complaint and examining whether assigning religious content as schoolwork violated education policy or other applicable norms. No criminal case has been registered so far, and the inquiry is ongoing.
The school management has maintained that the homework entry was an inadvertent error and not part of its official curriculum. However, the controversy has reignited a broader debate over the role of religious instruction in educational institutions and the importance of maintaining secular learning environments for students from diverse backgrounds.
