School Doing Grave Injustice to Children: SHRC
Neyaz Elahi, IBN
Srinagar – Coming down heavily over Presentation Convent School of Srinagar for its alleged discriminative approach towards students, the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has said that such type of discrimination is prevailing in Palestine where Arab schools are offered few facilities and educational opportunities.
The Commission has directed the Principal and Managing Body Head of the school to present themselves before the Commission on Oct 29.
The Commission has also directed the Director of School Education, Kashmir to file the state government’s response about the school.
Various parents of Kashmir Valley had filed a complaint in the SHRC alleging that Presentation Convent School located at Raj Bagh in Srinagar is doing grave injustice to school children.
While issuing the latest notification for admission in LKG class, the said school authorities have mentioned that kids falling within the radius of 5 kilometres only would lie selected for admission.
The complaint filed by parents within the Commission reads that in a secular state, the school management has kept 5 marks for the religion of parents of the aspirants kids i.e.; Christian, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist.
Strangely the kids of the majority community stand ignored and deprived of educational facility which has hurt the sentiments of people in general, the complaint said.
SHRC said it has taken strong cognizance of the complaint and has asked the School Principal and Director Education to file a response in this regard.
Such type of discrimination is prevailing in Palestine where Arab schools are offered few facilities and educational opportunities. Discrimination amounts to harassment which hampers students’ ability to get education and take tremendous toll on their emotional well-being, the Commission said.
The Commission has further maintained that children have the right to freedom from discrimination in education and this right flows from the non-discrimination provisions of the convention on the rights of the child.
“No child should be excluded from school because of his/her caste, colour, religion or gender. Real protection from such abuses requires measures to ensure that children enjoy access to education and health services and protection of their other economic and social rights, the SHRC said.
The complaint which came for consideration before the Commission discloses unreasonable discriminative classification for seeking admission in LKG in the school.
While talking to IBNS, one of the parents said that it is totally injustice on part of the school that they have made it mandatory that parents of children must be highly qualified and should occupy august positions in Goverrnment departments.
The Double Bench of the Commission comprising of S. Amlok Singh and Rafiq Fida has directed the Principal and Director Education Kashmir to file a response over the discriminative approach of the school.
In the first instance, Principal Convent School Raj Bagh, Srinagar and Managing Body Head are put to notice along with copy of complaint to file their response and through staff of commission. The DSEK (Dirctorate of School Education Kashmir; Jammu & Kashmir) be also noticed to file their response. The case is put up for the further proceedings before available Bench on 29th of this month, the notice of the Commission read.
Despite several attempts, the Principal of the school could not be contacted.
