Ecole Mondiale justifies students’ expulsion

The deputy director of education conducted a hearing on Friday against Ecole Mondiale School, Juhu, following a parent’s complaint that she had to pay an additional Rs10 lakh for re-admitting her children after their names were struck out from the rolls when their fees were paid 18 days late.

While the authorities heard the school’s side of the story, they were unable to come up with a decision since complainant Sheetal Mehta was not present. The next hearing will be on January 18.

Principal Finbarr O’Regan and the administrator represented the school.
“We asked the school authorities to justify their actions. They presented their case, but we cannot make a decision based solely on their version. We need to hear the parent as well,” said deptuy director of education Sunil Chavan.

PR Pawar, education inspector, west zone, said, “The school authorities said they had tried to communicate with the parents before taking the children off the school rolls. They had sent around four correspondences, but did not get any reply. The school, therefore, assumed that the parents did not want to continue there and removed the names. It was the school’s policy.”

In December, Bandra resident Mehta had alleged that the school had expelled her two children because of an 18-day delay in fee payment. She said the school forced her to readmit her children at an additional Rs10 lakh.