Gorakhpur teacher suspended over ‘pro-Pak lines’ during online class

Shadab Khanam was trying to explain nouns to students of Class IV when she posted the alleged “pro-Pak” sentences on a WhatsApp group.

A private school in Gorakhpur has suspended an English teacher for allegedly making “positive references to Pakistan” during an online grammar class on Friday.

The school authorities have also issued showcause notice to the teacher, Shadab Khanam, who is in her 30s, asking her to respond within a week.

Shadab Khanam was trying to explain nouns to students of Class IV when she posted the alleged “pro-Pak” sentences on a WhatsApp group.

The school authorities sent details of the case and action taken so far to the Gorakhpur district administration.

Shadab Khanam said she copied those sentences from the Internet and pasted on the group without going through them thoroughly. “It was an error. Immediately after realising her mistake, she immediately posted an apology on the WhatsApp group,” said Shadab Khanam’s husband Mohammad Hasim, who works in a private firm in Gorakhpur. He also claimed that Shadab Khanam was “not well.”

“Friday was the first day of online class and Shadab is not much familiar with the Internet. To explain better on noun, she picked some sentences from the Internet as an example. Without reading those sentences carefully, she posted them on WhatsApp group along with definition of noun,” claimed Hasim.

“Some of the sentences had positive references to Pakistan. When guardians of two students called up, she immediately realised her mistake and posted another message on the WhatsApp group asking students to use India in place of Pakistan. Later, she also posted an apology letter on the WhatsApp group,” he added.

Hasim also claimed they have not been informed about the suspension yet. “Shadab has been asked by the school authorities to not work for some days. She is yet to file a reply to the showcause notice.”

However, the school manager, G P Singh, said, “Shadab has been suspended and a show cause notice has been issued to her asking to file reply within seven days.

“An inquiry has also been ordered against her. I have informed about the matter with full details to District Inspector of Schools (DIOS), Basic Shiksha Adhikari and also Joint Director (Education) in Gorakhpur with action taken so far,” said Singh.

He added that Shadab, who has been teaching at the school nearly or a decade, admitted her mistake and she had also apologised.

“In reply to my letter, DIOS has asked me to send an inquiry report with details of action taken so far,”” added Singh.

DIOS, Gorakhpur, Gyanendra Singh Bhadoria said “The school authorities have informed about the progress [in the matter]. The teacher has been suspended and showcause notice has been issued to her. I have informed the District Magistrate.”

He added after receiving inquiry report by from the school authorities,he would putforth the matter before the district magistrate.