The Hindu : New Delhi News : Notice served to Shri Ram School

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Oct 29, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Notice served to Shri Ram School

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, OCT. 28. The Delhi High Court has issued notices to Shri Ram School at Vasant Vihar here and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on a writ petition by the mother of a ten-year-old girl student of the school challenging her shift from the school to a learning centre meant for slow learners and mentally retarded students.

Taking note of the petition by Komal Arora, mother of Surabhi Arora, a Class V student of the school, Justice C.K. Mahajan asked the MCD and the school authorities to file replies to the petitioner's plea by November 4.

In the petition filed through Ashok Aggarwal, Ms. Arora submitted that the action of the school authorities was illegal and void as her daughter had been clinically certified as a normal student with average intelligence by established child psychologists.

A perusal of the report cards of the girl issued to her by the school administration for various classes over the years also showed that she was a normal, intelligent, sociable and active student, he said.

Terming the shifting of Surabhi Arora to the learning centre as arbitrary and unilateral, Mr. Aggarwal submitted that when the mother of the victim protested the action by the school authorities, the administration of the institute struck off the name of the student from the rolls.

The action was in gross violation of the Delhi Education Act & Rules, 1973, which says that in case of a decision to expel a student by a school administration, the student concerned is to be given a reasonable opportunity to show cause against the proposed action, which was not followed in the case of Surabhi Arora, Mr. Aggarwal said.

Mr. Aggarwal further submitted that expulsion and rustication, according to the Act, could not be imposed on the students who are below 14 years of age.

The setting up and running of the learning centre by the school administration was against a United Nations declaration called "The Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs Education, 1994" whereby all the member countries are required to bring the physically and mentally-challenged students to the mainstream education system, as the experiences had shown that a separate school system for them had affected their growth adversely

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