AAP MLA Vishesh Ravi has placed a request for “immediate intervention” with the Directorate of Education (DoE) in the matter of “harassment and mistreatment of students” by Bal Bharti Public School. The students’ results were allegedly withheld and they were penalised for non-payment of fees. Ravi has written to the Director (Education) regarding this and asked that a report be submitted in the matter. “Even if parents have not paid the Development Fee and Annual Charges, the school does not have the right to withhold the annual result of the students who have not paid the fee. Such an act is immoral as it shows that the school is inhumane in its approach. Parents have also complained that the school administration has resorted to inhumane behaviour, shown by the school faculty when a student was sent to the ‘Art Room’ as detention for non-payment of said charges/fee in front of peers,” alleged Ravi. “The school has not been granting 15% rebate in the overall fee as directed by the Delhi High Court and has gone on to harass and mistreat students who have even paid tuition fee without 15% rebate. This act has distorted the fabric of inclusion imbibed amongst the students by deploying corrupt-immoral practice of ‘social detention/social exclusion from classroom’ while humiliating the students to the core, that they feel humiliated at the thought of going back to school (sic),” he added. A parent whose son studies in Class 9 alleged he was made to sit in front of the Vice-Principal’s office for several hours as punishment, while another student was made to stand in the playground in the heat, and others “detained” in the art room as punishment. On Friday, parents of some students protested outside the school demanding that their results be announced immediately and sections for the next class be allotted to them. “We have demanded that the principal also ask teachers to issue apology letters to students who were removed from classes, or action be taken against such teachers,” said a parent. Aparajita Gautam from the Delhi Parents Association said, “Many schools in Delhi are openly violating orders regarding charging of fees. Many complaints have repeatedly been sent to authorities, but no action has been taken. We want the government to take action against such schools, and file an FIR against them.” When contacted, Bal Bharti Public School principal L V Sehgal said he had held a meeting with the protesting parents and the matter had been sorted. “Their issues have been addressed,” he said. However, a parent said that while there was a meeting, the matter had not been resolved. Director Education Himanshu Gupta did not respond to calls or texts.
