In a relief to the parents of four students of Billabong High International School, Thane, the Maharashtra State Commission of Protection of Child Rights have instructed the education department to follow the orders from the state and inform the school to cancel the expulsion of the children.
The school had issued expulsion letters on April 7, to the four students for non-payment of fees and for filing complaints with the police against the school. "The management of the school regrets to inform you that your child will not be admitted in the next class for the academic year 2014-2015…," read the letter.
After the parents complained to the state education department, under-secretary of the department Satish Jhondale, had directed the deputy director's office to initiate necessary actions, according to section 16 of the Right to Education Act 2009, which states that no child admitted in the school shall be held back in any class or expelled till the completion of elementary education.
The education officer had yet not followed the orders as the matter was being discussed before the commission. "The state government is an executive body and the commission will not stop it from completing the orders. For any allegations made by the parents, the school cannot take revenge from the children and expel them," observed Ujjwal Ukey, acting chairperson of the commission.
The state education department has also instructed the local education office to carry out an inquiry into the capitation fees charged by the school. "The inquiry is already on. We will make sure that the children are not expelled," said Ganpat More, education officer, Thane.
The parents had approached the commission after the students were not given the results for the previous year and detained in the library on the reopening day on April 2. The parents have alleged that the school has not maintained transparency and has regularly hiked the fees. "We are fighting for the larger cause. The school has once again scheduled an 18 percent fee hike for the next academic year. They are charging Rs15,000 annually for sports and performing arts. This amounts to capitation fee," said a parent, who has been given the expulsion letter in spite of paying the fees.
The school management, however, maintained that the decision of expulsion was taken as the parents had not paid the fees. The advocate representing the school asked the commission additional time to present its responses.
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