The Bombay high court has directed the Maharashtra government to ensure a 12-year-old boy gets admission in another school, after his admission in his old school was cancelled when his parents objecte
The Bombay high court has directed the Maharashtra government to ensure a 12-year-old boy gets admission in another school, after his admission in his old school was cancelled when his parents objected to paying Rs 50,000 as school fees.
Justice V.M. Kanade and Justice M.S. Sonak observed that the child’s education should not be martyred in a war between his parents and the school management. “We want the child to be in school by next Monday. The state government must ensure that the child gets admission in another school,” said the bench. The court also directed the school to remove the remark that was written on the leaving certificate of the boy.
The high court had, last week, taken cognisance of a letter written to it by the father of the 12-year-old boy against HVB Global School at Marine Lines in south Mumbai. According to the child’s father, his son was expelled from the school as he (the father) had questioned and objected to paying a sum of Rs 50,000 in cash as term fee.
During the last hearing, the court had asked the state government to file a reply on whether they had a mechanism in place to help parents and teachers in such quarrels.
On Thursday, chief prosecutor Abhinandan Vagyani informed the court that the state had a mechanism under which parents and teachers’ associations are initially allowed to resolve the issue among them. But, if one of them is not satisfied with the decision then they can appeal to state authorities.
According to the school, the boy was admitted to the school in March 2015 and an admission fee of Rs 25,000 and tuition fees for one term Rs 85,000 was received from him. In August, when the school asked the parents to pay tuition fees for the next term, the boy’s father refused to pay, but the child was still allowed to appear for the final exams. After the incident, the school expelled the student.
On Thursday, the court said: “At this juncture we want that the child should get admission in a school and his studies should not suffer. All the other issues will be dealt with thereafter.” The court indicated that while hearing this matter it would make proper arrangements to resolve the issue.
The court also asked the boy’s father not to misbehave with the school management or its principal after the boy gets admission to the other school.
The court expressed displeasure at schools interviewing parents before giving admission to their children.
