Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu): A disturbing incident has emerged from a private school in Coimbatore, where a Class 8 student was allegedly made to sit outside her classroom to write an exam because she was menstruating. The student, a Dalit girl, was filmed taking the exam while seated on the steps of the school building. The video, which has since gone viral, has triggered widespread condemnation and prompted an official inquiry by the state’s education authorities.

The 1.22-minute clip shows the student writing on a printed answer sheet bearing the name Swamy Chidbhavananda Matric Higher Secondary School, located at Senguttaipalayam. The girl is seen speaking to a woman believed to be her mother, saying, “The principal asked me to sit here and write the exam.” She also reveals that this was not an isolated incident, stating she had previously been made to sit in a separate spot during exams.

The video also captures the mother questioning her daughter: “Won’t they let you take the exam inside the class if you have attained puberty?” It has come to light that the girl began menstruating on April 5 and was still on her period when the exam took place.
In its defence, the school has claimed that it acted on the mother’s request for the child to be seated separately. However, the girl’s mother has clarified to reporters that her intention was only for her daughter to be seated away from others—not isolated outside the classroom.

Following the outcry, the Tamil Nadu School Education Department has launched an investigation and suspended the school’s headmistress. The Director of Private School Education Dr M Palanisami is currently leading the inquiry. 

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu’s Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi has responded with a strong message of support for the student and a firm stance against any form of child oppression. In a social media post, he stated, “A departmental inquiry was conducted against the private school. The school principal has been suspended. Oppression of children in any form cannot be tolerated. The dear student did not sit alone! We are here. We will be here.”

The investigation continues as public pressure mounts, with many demanding that schools become safer and more inclusive spaces for menstruating girls, free from stigma or discrimination.