MARGAO
Even as the demand mounts for the termination of the Physical Education teacher of the Fatorpa government school for his alleged involvement in the sexual harassment of girl students, Sports Minister Govind Gaude on Friday said his department has moved the file for the termination of the PE teacher from service.
Gaude told The Goan that he was quick in taking the decision to place the PE teacher Ramesh Gaonkar under suspension soon after his arrest.
When his attention was drawn to the anxiety in the minds of girl students, parents and children rights activists that the suspended teacher, who is presently behind bars, may return to school once he is out on bail, Gaude said, “The Directorate of Sports has moved the file for the termination of the PE teacher. The PE teacher had a past record at the Molcornem school. My department will not keep such teachers. The file has been moved for his termination.”
Meanwhile, the Cuncolim police headed by Police Station in-charge, Diego Gracias, is believed to have taken possession of the records from the Molcornem school, where the accused teacher was allegedly involved in a similar incident. The records collected by the police will be placed before the Children’s Court at the next date of hearing scheduled on September 27.
In another development, children’s rights activist Auda Viegas has supported the demands of the parents of students of the Fatorpa government school for the termination of the PE teacher Ramesh Gaonkar from service.
Auda told the media that the behaviour of the suspended PE teacher was bad when he was posted at the Molcormem government school around 2015-16. “I was the committee that probed into the Molcormem incident. The committee had reported that the teacher should not be posted in a school where children come to study,” she said.
Demanding termination of the PE teacher, Auda said she would support the parents as well as the villagers of Fatorpa planning an agitation if the accused PE teacher is not terminated from service.
“The young girl students are still undergoing the trauma after the PE teacher allegedly sexually harassed them. The young minds are still to come out of the trauma. It would be injustice on these young children if the PE teacher returns back to the school,” she said, adding that justice would be done to the students if the PE teacher is terminated from service.
