GD Somani has expelled student unlawfully: ICSE

The Indian School Certificate Examinations  (ICSE) council, in an affidavit submitted to the Bombay High Court on Wednesday, stated that is has called for an explanation from GD Somani Memorial School at Cuffe Parade for expelling its student Deven Shah (name changed), 16, from the Class IX after he failed in Mathematics.

Shah had moved court against the school last month, contending that as per the norms laid down by the council for ICSE, out of seven subjects, a student has to be promoted to the next class if he has passed in at least five subjects including English. Shah had also alleged that that the principal of the school had forced him to leave the school and had issued a leaving certificate on April 21.

The affidavit filed by Gerry Arathoon, additional secretary-cum-officiating chief executive of the ICSE council, states, “a student, in order to pass the examination, is required to secure minimum 35% marks in at least five subjects which must include the subject English.”

Arathoon’s affidavit states that it appears that the school has “failed to observe or confirm” the requirements to promote a student according to the regulations and syllabus laid down by the ICSE council. Shah has stated that he also had sufficient attendance in school but had received an E grade in Mathematics alone in the IX standard. He has contended that the school’s decision to keep him back in the same class had left him in a “state of shock” as he has never been detained in the same class before.

The school had, however, filed an affidavit stating that Shah and his parents had misconceived the norms laid by the council and Shah had failed in two more subjects.