Should criticism of a school, especially when it is a random graffiti by a 13-year-old boy on his desk, lead to harassment and humiliation by the school, and possible debarment from school exams?
A teenager, who is from a prestigious institution, was allegedly hauled up after his classmates were pressurised into turning him in.
The boy was asked to leave the school immediately though it was exam season and the whole year’s fee had already been paid. By the end of the week, the student’s father had submitted an apology letter which was rejected by the school. Left with no other option, the boy’s father obtained an order from the High Court, which ensured that he would be able to write his exams.
The humiliation, it seemed, had only just begun. The school, which termed the boy’s behaviour “malicious and spiteful”, said he will not be allowed to ride on the school bus or even enter the school through the main gates. He was asked to come in through a side entrance and write his exams in isolation. Any kind of contact with his classmates was also strictly forbidden.
The issue was taken to the Karnataka State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights. According to Ms Nina Nayak, chairperson, KSCPR, “The child was completely traumatized. We have passed an order saying that the school is responsible for the boy from the moment he boards the bus”.