Wards facing bias in school, allege parents

Tribune News Service

Ambala, March 25

The Parents’ Welfare Association of SD Vidya School has approached the Haryana State Commission for Protection of Child Rights against the school, alleging their children were facing discrimination and discouragement.

In its letter to the commission, the association alleged, “Children between seven and 15 years have been facing mental harassment, discrimination and discouragement because their parents have been pursuing a case against the arbitrary fee hike by the school management.”

Yogesh Thapliyal, a parent, said, “The school follows the tradition of writing names of scholars on the smart board of the school to motivate and appreciate them. But today, their names were not mentioned on the board and their results remained with the principal. We had to wait for hours to get the results. The biased attitude of the school has disheartened our children and we have sought commission’s intervention.”

Neelinderjeet Sandhu, principal, said, “The financial health of the school is weak. Over 290 parents haven’t deposited fee for three years. We haven’t displayed the results on the school board so that we can make the parents understand about our financial condition.”

She said, “The case regarding fee hike has been disposed off in the High Court, while the Fee and Fund Regulatory Committee has given decision in favour of the school. An appeal of the parents regarding fee hike is pending with PK Dass, ACS, and it may take another one month to get the decision, but it is hard to start the new session with a deficit of over Rs 1 crore.”

“Non-payment of dues has been affecting the working of the school. The staff and the support staff have not been paid for February,” the principal said.

To a query, she said, “Names are mentioned on the board only after the result is declared. It is a set procedure and there is no discrimination.”