School pulled up for keeping out student over fee arrears

September 09, 2009 07:40 pm | Updated 07:42 pm IST - NEW DELHI

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday pulled up a private school in South Delhi for sitting out a Class X girl student for the whole day for non-deposit of arrears of enhanced tuition fees by her parents and also for not allowing her to fill out the Board examination form.

The school is affiliated to the Indian Council of Secondary Education (ICSE). The last date for filling out the form is September 10.

When the girl called up her father and told him about the shabby treatment meted out to her, the Principal of the school refused either to talk or meet him.

According to the girl’s father, the Principal also threatened that she would not be allowed to appear in the Class X Board examination in 2010.

Commenting on the behaviour of the school authorities, a Division Bench of the Court headed by Justice A. K. Sikri said: “It is a serious matter that the girl was made to sit outside the class for no fault of hers. Such behaviour with a child has very deep impact on his or her mind.”

The Bench directed counsel for the Delhi Government to talk to the school authorities and ensure the girl’s examination form was processed.

The Bench also directed the counsel to file a compliance report to the Court after ensuring implementation of the directions.

Earlier, counsel for the girl’s father mentioned the matter before the Court seeking directions to the Government to take action against the erring school authorities.

The school had demanded Rs.3,900 from the girl’s father to clear the arrears. But he expressed his inability to clear the arrears saying that he was short of money now as his other daughter was also studying in the school in a junior class.

He argued that the school authorities could not force him for payment of the arrears as per the directions of the High Court. But the school authorities dismissed his pleas.

The High Court orders say that school authorities can ask for payment of arrears of the enhanced tuition fees only when students leave the school.

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