After protests over alleged finding of a glass piece in the meal served to students in an Ahmedabad private school and controversy over teaching out-of-syllabus books including that of Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai, the school has listed the books as “optional”.
Ahmedabad’s Anand Niketan School also terminated the services of its consultant’ Munazza Shums, an alumnus of the school who was working as “curriculum designer and teacher trainer”.
Several parents staged protests outside Ahmedabad’s Anand Niketan School, Shilaj campus, on August 11 after a student allegedly found a piece of glass in the food served at the school a day earlier. Later, parents alleged that the school is ‘discriminating’ against students from a particular religion by forcing them to read books by Nobel Prize-winning Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai, and German-born Jewish Holocaust victim Anne Frank, among others.
Following controversy, the District Education Officer (DEO), Ahmedabad, issued a show-cause notice to the school, seeking a clarification on the “glass chip” found in the food.
In a response to the show-cause notice issued by the DEO, the school management stated, ‘We respectfully clarify that the literary works of internationally recognised authors, including Malala Yousafzai and Anne Frank, are included in the optional Book Club/Library intended solely to encourage reading and literary appreciation. The said books are not part of the school’s compulsory curriculum. We assure you that the school management has always remained committed to complying with all applicable rules and regulations’.
On Thursday, the Chairman of Anand Niketan Kamal Mangal, in a letter to the Gujarat Education Minister, stated that ‘we will not be inviting Ms Munazza Shums for further consultations’.
He was responding to allegations that Shums was heading the school and that she had tweaked the curriculum to make Malala Yousafzai and Anne Frank books mandatory for students.
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“The report that Munazza Shums is heading the school is totally baseless. The school has never declared her as a ‘head of school’ in any of its communications…. She is an independent consultant who travels across India as well as abroad imparting her knowledge and experience at various other institutions. Moving forward, we will not be inviting Ms Munazza Shums for further consultations,” Mangal said in the letter.
“Of the four books in the Book Club, Anne Frank and Malala Yousafzai’s memoir, ‘I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban’ have been made optional. Students now have an option to read any of the four books. The same has been communicated to the education department,” Kamal Mangal told The Indian Express.
On the termination of services of Munazza Shums, Mangal told The Indian Express, “Since the parents had questioned her role in the school’s operations, it was decided to stop taking her services.” He also termed the allegation of bias towards some students as “baseless.”
Canteen supervisor out
With the post of the school principal lying vacant, the school said it has also initiated the process of appointing an in-charge principal. The school also decided to suspend its canteen supervisor with immediate effect.
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“Kitchen and food preparation areas have been thoroughly cleaned and sanitised, additional food-safety and quality checks have been implemented, a new canteen contract has been awarded and three additional supervisors have been appointed,” the school authorities said.
The school also made the canteen service optional and said that students who opt out of the same will be refunded.
On August 11, a Class VIII student allegedly found a glass piece in his lunch — ladyfinger, dal, chapati and rice – served in the school. The student handed over the glass piece to the teachers and said he could have swallowed some glass pieces. When the parents demanded the ‘glass’ piece for medical examination, the school refused saying they lost it.
Ritu Sharma is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express' Gujarat bureau, an editorial position that reflects her experience and Authority in regional journalism. With over a decade of concentrated reporting experience, she is a highly Trustworthy and specialized journalist, especially noted for her Expertise in the education sector across Gujarat and previously Chandigarh.
Expertise
Primary Authority (Education): With over ten years of dedicated reporting on education in both Gujarat and Chandigarh, Ritu Sharma is a foremost authority on educational policy, institutional governance, and ground realities from "KG to PG." Her coverage includes:
Higher Education: In-depth scrutiny of top institutions like IIM-Ahmedabad (controversies over demolition/restoration of heritage architecture), IIT-Bombay (caste discrimination issues), and new initiatives like international branch campuses in GIFT City.
Schooling & Policy: Detailed coverage of government schemes (Gyan Sadhana School Voucher Scheme), the implementation and impact of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, teacher recruitment issues, and the impact of national policies like the NEP.
Student Welfare: Reporting on critical issues such as suicide allegations due to caste discrimination, and the challenges faced by students (e.g., non-delivery of NAMO tablets). ... Read More
