Recognising the strength of collective power, the girl students of a rural government school get their misogynistic teacher replaced, improve washroom facilities and inspire action in other schools.
Girls would do anything for money – that is the essence of what a male teacher in a girls’ school in a village near Gurugram repeatedly told his students.
But he was proven wrong. Here’s how.
In 2022, a remarkable story unfolded at the Senior Government Secondary School in Bhora Kalan village, situated 30 km from Gurugram in Haryana.
The story involves a group of courageous adolescent girls who confronted a crucial issue in their school and demonstrated the rewarding power of raising their voice to bring about change through collective action.
The girls’ troubles began with their English teacher Santosh (name changed) repeatedly exhibiting inappropriate behaviour in class. He engaged in unrelated discussions during class and made derogatory comments about the girls’ character and caste.
He made demeaning statements like “all it takes is money to make a girl lose her character” and “girls could be taken anywhere with just the promise of money.”
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The girls were angered and demoralised by their teacher’s degrading words, which also made them feel uncomfortable in the classroom.
The turning point came when the girls attended a session conducted by Breakthrough, an organisation working towards empowering women and girls. They learnt about the efforts of Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule to ensure that more girls had access to education.
This helped them realise that initiating change required collective efforts. They wondered if they too could voice their objections to Santosh’s teaching and initiate a positive change.
They were convinced to do so by a session called Hamare Adhikar conducted by Breakthrough that talks about rights and entitlements, source and medium, and responsibilities. As they learnt about the value of a good education in their lives, the girls recognised the risks and barriers for education.
They realised how their aspirations would be affected by having Santosh as their English teacher. His inability to teach effectively could impact their academic performance and potentially skew their Board exam results.
Armed with this insight, the girls made a formal representation to the principal, expressing their concerns about the English teacher and requested a replacement.
Initially the girls were unsuccessful. The principal dismissed their plea due to the upcoming Board exams. He also said that he could not act based on one complaint and that their petition would need more signatures. Although the girls felt disappointed, they were not disheartened. Instead, they grew more determined.
So when the English teacher was retained at the position after the Board exams, the students were keen to act with a rare display of collective action. They banded together once more and wrote another letter to the principal, voicing their refusal to study under Santosh any longer.
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This time, the students received a more positive response. Many of the women teachers had become aware of the situation but had refrained from intervening. However, upon hearing about the girls’ successful advocacy, they expressed their admiration and support, and encouraged them to continue raising their collective voice for themselves and others.
The principal finally recognised the urgency of the situation and acted. Santosh was replaced. This significant change brought a renewed sense of hope and empowerment to the girls, knowing that their collective voice had played a key role in producing a meaningful change.
The change did not stop there.
The students then resolved to address a pressing issue – the deteriorating condition of the school washrooms which posed health and hygiene concerns, especially during menstrual cycles.
They knew that the bad condition of the washroom may lead to infections and lack of access lead to many girls skipping school on particular days. So they initiated a Washroom Collective Action for clean and accessible washrooms.
In a letter to the school’s principal, the students highlighted the need for improving the washroom facility, provision of bins, better lighting, plaster repairs and regular running water supply.
They achieved a 60 percent improvement in the school’s washrooms. Essential amenities were added and repairs took place, and the washrooms became cleaner.
Encouraged by the support received from the faculty members, the students contacted the school management committee, requesting their continued support in maintaining the hygiene standards in the premises in the long term.
Inspired by the drive of these girls and the success of the Washroom Collective Action, neighbouring schools began similar cleanliness initiatives. The ripple effect of the students’ small-scale actions reached far and wide, benefiting a significant number of local school communities.
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The lead image shows the girl students who fought collectively to replace their prejudiced male teacher and bring about other positive changes in their school. (Photo courtesy Breakthrough)
Sarishti Sadar and Esha Arora are part of the Breakthrough team.
