Inquiry ordered after parents claim Class V students made to clean toilets at Thottipalayam school in Coimbatore

The District School Education Department initiated an inquiry on February 13, 2026 (Friday) after parents alleged that five Class V Scheduled Caste students were forced to clean toilets at a Panchayat Union Primary School in Thottipalayam village in SS Kulam block of Coimbatore district.

According to the parents, the children were made to clean the toilets on a rotational basis, an act they said amounted to child abuse and caste-based discrimination. The headmistress, however, denied the allegations, stating that she had only instructed the students to wash their legs after using the toilet and had not asked them to clean it.

Sources said the parents, along with the village head, visited the school on Friday and questioned the headmistress regarding the issue. Following this, the Block Educational Officer (BEO) inspected the school and conducted an inquiry.

Meanwhile, a video circulating on social media features a mother alleging that her son was made to clean the toilet once every two days for the past few months on the headmistress’s instructions, with a separate attendance register allegedly maintained for the task.

She claimed that her son was beaten and threatened with the issuance of a transfer certificate if he failed to comply with the instruction, forcing him to stay away from school for nearly two weeks. She said she learnt of the issue only after repeatedly questioning him about his absence, following which he disclosed that he and four other Class V students were being made to clean the toilet.

Further investigations are on.