Delhi schools ban male teachers

http://www.ibnlive.com/news/delhi-schools-to-stop-men-teaching-young-girls/top/31022-3.html

New Delhi: Male teachers are being prevented from
teaching girls in primary schools across New Delhi
after a handful of complaints of sexual molestation,
MCD officials said on Friday.

"It's a matter of taking precautions," the Director of
Education at the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD),
Indira Yadav, told Reuters.

"I can't say we mistrust all male teachers. But we
have had three or four complaints in the last two
years and it's matter of minimising that."

Within the next three months, male teachers will be
replaced - wherever possible - with female teachers in
Delhi's 1,200 MCD-run co-education and all-girl
primary schools, which teach children up to the age of
11.

While the Capital has a reputation for being the
country's most dangerous city for women and girls,
critics say the move to segregate teaching staff is
extreme and unnecessary.

"This is nothing but a slur on the male faculty," a
local teachers association secretary was quoted as
saying by Reuters.

"Instead of teaching the students what is right and
what is not, the department is giving a wrong message
that male teachers are responsible for all sexual
harassment," he said.

The Teachers Welfare Organisation told the Statesman
newspaper it would protest against the move as it
would result in male teachers losing jobs and girl
students being needlessly mollycoddled.

Education director Yadav admits the move will not
entirely eliminate the risk of children being sexually
assaulted.

"Of course these days it is possible for a male
teacher to fondle a boy - but what can I do about
that?" she said.

____________________________________________________________________________________
Cheap talk?
Check out Yahoo! Messenger's low PC-to-Phone call rates.
http://voice.yahoo.com