School fiasco: Principals meet DC, Mayor

Aparna Banerji

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Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, April 22

In the aftermath of the incident involving an assault on the director of Mayor World School by a parent, the heads of as many as 18 schools met Deputy Commissioner KK Yadav, Mayor Sunil Jyoti and Police Commissioner Yurinder Singh Hayer to seek the inclusion of Section 307 in the FIR lodged against the parent.

Various heads of schools had expressed solidarity with the administration of Mayor World School yesterday. They met members of the district administration to build pressure regarding the issue here today.

Head of the CBSE-affiliated schools association, Jalandhar, Anil Chopra and chairman St Soldiers Group, Anil Chopra, along with Ajay Bhatia from Cambridge School, Dr Anup Bowry, Innocent Hearts Group, Jarnial Singh Pasricha from the MGN Group, Charanjit Singh Channi from CT Group among others met the Deputy Commissioner to demand the inclusion of Sections 307 and 452 in the FIR lodged against advocate Taranjit Kaur Hundal.

The association of CBSE schools has threatened to go on a strike for an indefinite period if the demanded sections were not included in the FIR.

Meanwhile, parents of schoolchildren also gathered on the premises of Mayor World School here today to express solidarity with the school administration. Geetika Jain, Avviata Tiwari, Divya Mahajan, Divya Vasan, Anuja Sharma, Tanisha Jain were among other parents, who were present on the occasion.

Meanwhile, Taranjit Kaur Hundal has alleged that the her children were being pressurised ever since they expressed their inability to go to NASA on a school trip. Geetika Jain, while talking to The Tribune said, “My son is in the Class VIII. He is eligible to go to NASA, but he has never been pressurised. We side with the school in this hour of crisis. We believe that the said parent reacted in an uncivilised manner.”

Another parent Nidhi, whose child will be going on the upcoming trip to NASA, said, “The school has asked for Rs 2,25,000 for the trip to NASA. We can’t expect the school to pay for such a costly trip. We are sending our child voluntarily and think that the money required for the trip is genuine.”

On April 20, a mobile phone of a student was confiscated by the school authorities. When her mother came to know about it, she asked them to return the phone. Later she demanded a letter from the school stating that the phone had been confiscated. After waiting for over 45 minutes, she barged into the CEO’s office. While the school authorities allege that it was the parent, who first yelled at the staff, the parents say the school staff shouted at them first.

What the school administration says

“One cannot imagine a parent can behave in such a manner as Taranjit Kaur Hundal did. She shouted at the staff at the reception as well as at PROs and deputies. She demanded that she be given a letter regarding the confiscation of phone. We were going to give it to her, but instead of waiting, she barged into the CEO’s office, yelled and spoke bad language. She called dirtiest possible names to teachers,” said director, Mayor World School, Jyoti Nagranee.

School CEO Neerza Mayor said, “The said parent did not just slap the director, but also tried to strangle and hit her with a shoe. They also banged her head. The said sections have to be included in the FIR and other schools are supporting us on this matter. If they are not imposed, then all CBSE-affiliated schools will go on a strike for an indefinite period.”

What parents say

Taranjit Kaur Hundal, while talking to The Tribune said, “I was made to wait for over an hour for a simple letter after my daughter’s mobile was confiscated at the school on April 20. I do not deny the CCTV footage, which has been released. But it is not the complete version. Footage regarding what the school director said or did to me has not been made public. My children were told how do they tolerate such a psychopath mother? That is not how school administration behaves. For whatever transpired, an FIR has already been lodged against me in the matter. But I maintain that it is the incomplete version of things.”

Taranjit alleged that on previous occasion also she and her son had been slapped at the school following which she had called the police. She said, “At that time I called the police, now the school administration is getting back at me. But they have been harassing my children. I shall fight on issue till the end.”