Admn seeks ‘mental check-up’ of 8-yr-old

Aparna Banerji
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, July 20

A two-year-long feud between the parents of a child and his school management over school fee and resultant harassment of the child has taken a bizarre turn with the district administration calling for the “mental health check-up” of the eight-year-old child who is studying in Class II.

Complaining against Apeejay School, Mahavir Marg, since 2017 (on fee issues), the father of the child has alleged that the school had been harassing his child Jaibir Singh (8) following his complaints against the school administration. Which, the father said, caused mental trauma to his child. However, a defiant school administration has denied all allegations, saying the parent was making them, not to pay fees.

A formal SIT was constituted by the DC in May, comprising DEO Elementary, DEO Senior Secondary and SDM Sanjeev Kumar Shama. There was a change in SIT (as SDM Sanjeev Kumar proceeded on leave) after Shayari Malhotra took over.

While the first complaint, pertaining to the fee structure, was made to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) by the parent in April 2018, the case has now taken a turn that the mental check-up of the child has been recommended by a SIT constituted on the issue by the DC earlier this year.

The NCPCR in a letter issued to the DC on May 2, 2018, had directed the DC to inquire into the matter and take appropriate action, ensuring no further harassment of the child. In another letter, the NCPCR on September 4, 2018, reprimanded the DC office for lack of response and demanded an action-taken report within 15 days.

The father of the boy, Gaganpreet Singh, said: “In 2017, I had complained to the Divisional Commissioner against schools asking students to buy books from them. I also made complaints regarding schools failing to share annual charges’ break-up details. Then submitted a complaint to the NCPCR in April 2018. Since then, they began harassing my son. For four days in 2018 he was sent back from school. On one occasion, I also made a police complaint (on April 17, 2018). He was being harassed from the beginning of this session.”

Admitting that his child’s school dues were unpaid for past one year and three months, Gaganpreet, in turn, alleged the school refused to provide the break-up of annual and book charges to him.

SDM Shayari Malhotra, who currently heads SIT, said: “It’s a serious allegation pertaining to mental torture and depression of a child due to school behaviour. We have constituted a formal committee and made a psychiatrist and the child protection officer members to it. The test is being conducted to ascertain whether the child is depressed. A formal report will be submitted on July 26.”

School Principal Girish Kumar said: “All alleged allegations are false, baseless and incorrect. The child has never been harassed or discriminated against. The break-up of school fees has been shared with Gaganpreet Singh. The allegations are an attempt to avoid paying school fees, pending for the past-one-and-a half years.”

Dr. Aman Sood, psychiatrist, Civil Hospital, Jalandhar, said: “The child was brought to me and a report on the issue will be sent to SIT by Monday.”

The allegations

Complaining against Apeejay School, Mahavir Marg, since 2017 (on fee issues), the father of the child has alleged that the school had been harassing his child following his complaints against the school administration, which, the father said, has caused mental trauma to his child. However, a defiant school administration has denied all allegations, saying the parent was making them, not to pay fee.

All charges baseless, says principal

School principal Girish Kumar said: “All alleged allegations are false, baseless and incorrect. The child has never been harassed or discriminated against. The break-up of school fees has been shared with the father of the student, Gaganpreet Singh. The allegations are an attempt to avoid paying school fees, pending for the past-one-and-a half years.”