Child rights panel set to question Kolkata schools

They allegedly denied admission to children of single mothers

West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBCPCR) has decided to seek explanation from several renowned schools in Kolkata that allegedly refused admission to children of single mothers.

The decision was taken after the commission received complaints from single mothers that the schools made mentioning the father’s name a mandatory criteria for admission.

“After receiving more than a dozen complaints, we have sought report from one of the schools and we will do the same with others as well,” Ananya Chatterjee Chakraborti, WBCPCR, told

The Hindu .

Intrusive questions

WBCPCR officials said the ordeal faced by single mothers was not limited to admission forms. Even if the applications for admission passed the initial stage, the women were being asked questions about their personal lives, officials said. “While interviewing single mothers, the school authorities asked regressive questions like ‘Why don’t you live with your husband?’; ‘Don’t you think it will be better to adjust?’; ‘Have you used in vitro fertilisation?’ ” the WBCPCR chairperson said.

After the interview, the school authorities wrote to the single mothers stating that their children could not be given admission as they did not meet the admission criteria, she said. “We will ask them what their admission criteria is based on which they are refusing admission. It is very clear to us that the ground for rejection is that the women don’t have husbands,” said Ms. Chakraborti. WBCPCR has also written to the State’s Department of School Education about the issue.

Harassment alleged

A city-based film maker Anindita Sarbadhicari is among the single mothers who have lodged a complaint with WBCPCR alleging harassment by two renowned private schools she approached for her son’s admission.

“In the first incident, the school authorities asked me to give to them in writing why I have not mentioned the father’s name and later they went to the extent of asking me to file an affidavit, before refusing admission to my son,” Ms. Sarbadhicari told The Hindu .

She approached the WBCPCR after facing a similar situation in another school.

The Supreme Court in a judgement on July 6, 2015 had made it clear that it was not mandatory to mention the name of the father in applications for admission in schools.