School In Bengaluru Gives UKG Student Transfer Certificate For 'Poor Performance', 'Not Coping Up Like Other Children'

".. they are saying that my child is not coping up like the other children. But my child was ill and missed classes for several days. Despite that, he has scored C+, which the school is saying is low."

Outlook Web Bureau

Updated on: 13 April 2017 2:01 pm

A UKG student studying in a private school in Bengaluru under the RTE quota was allegedly given a transfer certificate by the school authorities because they were not happy with the child's performance.

Under the RTE quota, all private schools are obliged to admit 25% children from weaker sections and disadvantaged groups from their neighbourhoods for free education.

A report by The Hindu quotes the boy's mother as saying, "If he does not do well in the test, they said that he will be given a transfer certificate. I will have to look for another school. We do not have the means to admit our child in another school.. they are saying that my child is not coping up like the other children. But my child was ill and missed classes for several days. Despite that, he has scored C+, which the school is saying is low."

This goes against the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, a fundamental right that focuses on free and compulsory education to children aged between 6 and 14. An important provision of the Act is that no child shall be held back, expelled, or required to pass a board examination until the completion of elementary education.

Subjecting a UKG student to a rigid educational structure and expelling him for 'not coping up like the other children' can tend to have implications on the child's mental growth and can hamper the confidence and self esteem schools and teachers are expected to instill in a student.

According to the report, the school was not happy with the child's performance. After his mother's objections, the school authorities asked that her son take a test to resolve the dispute, following which his parents approached the RTE Students' and Parents' Association who filed a complaint with the jurisdictional Block Education Officer alleging harassment of the child.

In another incident in Gurgaon, three kids were escorted out of Shalom Hills International School by teachers, alleging non payment of fees.

A parent of the student had alleged that he had not paid the annual fees because the school failed to prove that the amount was “legal and approved”. The CBSE last year had asked all schools to reveal their fee structure to bring in transparency.