Students of Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) in Kozhikode have forced the management to switch off 16 closed circuit cameras, which were put up in the school recently.
On Monday, students staged a protest, a rare instance, demanding the removal of cameras. They also wanted the school to lift suspension on five teachers who had supported students.
The agitation forced District Collector P.B. Salim, ex-officio chairman, to intervene and direct the principal to switch off cameras.
“We installed cameras to check trespassing and to ensure security within the campus,” said Principal Maya George. She told this newspaper that “the cameras were switched off temporarily on directions of the district collector”.
Tension had been brewing in the institution for the last few days as a section of students and teachers had protested against cameras in class rooms, corridors and even toilets.
“Majority of the teachers supported our demand and five of them were suspended due to this,” said Nikhil K, a Class XII student.
“We are not thieves or goons to be spied on,” he said. “How could they misuse welfare fund without consent of students and parents?”
“We feel it is our duty to protest against the punishment imparted to our teachers for supporting our cause,” said another Class XII student Vishnu Datha.
Students called off their agitation after discussions held in the presence of the district collector who offered to relook into the suspension of teachers. “No action will be taken against students for participating in the agitation,” the collector said.
However, school management claimed that the teachers were suspended on directions from higher ups for deliberately being absent during the post inspection meeting and for unauthorised unionism.