Row Over Priest Teaching Religion At Christian School

The footage shows about 20 students from Grades 1, 6, 8, and 9 seated together while a man dressed as a church priest leads them in prayer before beginning their tasks and meals. The school’s principal, Mary, was also present, assisting during the session. Locals identified the man as Chinnapu Reddy, a priest from the church located next to the school.

The incident reportedly occurred on Friday morning during the first period. The video was recorded by the father of a student who had come to pay fees and discovered the session being conducted secretly with select students from different classes.

The school, which runs from LKG to Class 10, is managed by a Christian trust and has around 500 students from various religious backgrounds. Principal Mary initially claimed the gathering was a “value education” class but later said it was meant only for Christian students.

Locals alleged that such religious teaching sessions take place every Wednesday and Friday, with the school gates closed during that time to prevent outsiders from entering.

Following public outrage, members of various student and Hindu organisations, including ABVP, filed complaints with the tahsildar and Mandal Education Office, demanding strict action and cancellation of the school’s recognition.

In response, District Education Department officials ordered an immediate inquiry. Acting on the orders, Wardhannapet MEO R. Sridhar visited the school, interacted with the management and students, and confirmed that religious propagation had taken place.