Pudukottai: A disturbing video showing young students cleaning toilets at a government primary school in Pudukkottai district has gone viral, triggering widespread condemnation and prompting an official inquiry. The incident occurred at Namanasamudram Residential Panchayat Union Primary School, located in Thekkatur Panchayat, which educates approximately 30 students from grades 1 through 5.
Headmistress Claims Internal Staff Dispute Led to Incident
School headmistress Kala, who has served at the institution for 18 years, has denied allegations that she instructed students to clean the toilets. In her explanation to education authorities, she revealed an ongoing conflict between two breakfast program staff members – Veerammal and Sudha, both residents of Namanasamudram. According to Kala, Veerammal allegedly orchestrated the incident by directing her own son and several other students to clean the facilities before the scheduled cleaner arrived, then filmed and shared the video on social media. “This was done deliberately to spite me after I questioned Veerammal about making staffing decisions without consulting me,” Kala stated.
Students made to clean toilets in #TamilNadu
Location: Govt primary school in Pudukkottai pic.twitter.com/gDzMuScWFh
— Meghna Aggarwal (@little_leo89) July 14, 2025
The school normally employs a local woman named Rani for toilet cleaning duties, a system reportedly in place for three years. Education department officials have demanded a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the viral video.
As the controversy grows, the incident has highlighted both the challenges of managing rural school operations and the potential misuse of social media to escalate workplace disputes at the expense of children’s dignity.