HC seeks response of Delhi govt. on "discrimination" by school

Updated on: Thursday, December 15, 2011

The Delhi High Court today sought a response from Delhi government and its Department of Education on a plea of an NGO alleging discrimination by a school against the students belonging to economically weaker sections for non-payment of "smart class" fee for classes where computers are used instead of traditional blackboards.

A bench headed by Acting Chief Justice A K Sikri issued a notice to the government of NCT, DoE and St. Lawrence Convent Senior Secondary School and directed them to file their replies and listed the matter for further hearing on December, 23.

The court was hearing a plea of an NGO, Social Jurist, against the "discriminatory" treatment to the students by the school solely on the ground of non-payment of smart class fee. In its plea, the NGO sought a direction to the school restraining it from segregating the economically weaker sections(EWS) students from the other students and also to the DoE to take action against the "guilty" officials.

"The school is not entitled to segregate these students on the basis of facilites and further that they are not entitled to humiliate, harass and insult the students," it said. The petitioner alleged the school administration has not allowed the students of EWS to sit with the other students for non-payment of Rs 400 per month as smart class fee and has created another category for them.

"The demand of the school for payment Rs 400 per month on account of smart classes is illegal...," the petition said. The petitioner said all the 31 EWS students are entitled to totally free education and the school is not entitled to ask for any payment.

The school is situated on a public land in East Delhi, which was alloted to it at concessional rates and in terms of the allotment letter, the school is under obligation to provide 20 per cent admission to EWS, the petition contended.

HC seeks response of Delhi govt. on "discrimination" by school

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