HYDERABAD: A relative of the Hindu Class 2 student at the centre of the alleged religious homework controversy at a private school in Hyderabad said religious teachings should not be mixed with school education, while welcoming the action taken against the teacher.Speaking to ANI, Supriya Gaud claimed she noticed the homework while picking up her nephew from Success, The School in Hyderabad’s Sayeedabad.“Yesterday, I went to the school to pick my nephew up and I saw that the contents in his diary was something which is not related to the subject. I saw a teacher writing to read Kalma and Surah Fateha. That is absolutely wrong,” she said.She added that students from different faiths come to school for education and said religious teachings should not be part of the curriculum.“If you are giving education, just do that. Students from different religions, different aspects are coming to get the education. They’re coming for quality education… Kalma and Surah Fateha is not a part of the subject, it is a religious book. Do not mix it up. If you want to make it a subject, please put Bhagavad Gita, Bible as a subject (SIC),” Gaud said.She also said she was thankful to the school management for taking action against the teacher.“I am really thankful to the school management because they have taken the strict action on this. We have seen the diary and we have raised our voice. I don’t know in how many diaries and how many students this has been going…(SIC)” she said.The controversy began after the parents of a Hindu Class 2 student alleged that their child had been instructed to recite the Kalma and Surah Fateha as part of school homework.Photographs of the student’s homework diary later surfaced on social media, allegedly showing the entries “Read 1,2 Kalma” and “Read Surah Fateha” under the subject “Deeniyath”.Following the controversy, Success, The School terminated teacher Shaik Aisha Parveen and said she had also been permanently disqualified from seeking future employment within the Success Group of Education Institutions.The issue also sparked protests outside the school by BJP workers. Police detained BJP leader Andela Sriramulu Yadav, advocate and BJP leader Karuna Sagar, and several other party workers during the protest.The school has not publicly commented on the controversy beyond issuing the teacher’s termination letter.
