Girls not admitted: HC seeks reasons

TNN, Jul 28, 2010

NEW DELHI: Eight girls who were refused admission by different government schools in east Delhi have moved the Delhi high court, which on Tuesday asked the education department to explain why the students were refused admission.

Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw asked the government to explain by August 5, why it failed to admit the girls in its schools.

The girls residing in different areas in east Delhi had approached the court when they were refused admission on "frivolous grounds''.

Some of the reasons cited by the schools for denying them admission were that they belonged to a different state, they were overaged and that being dropouts, they could not be readmitted.

All the girls moved the court complaining the government schools had violated the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE Act, 2009) by denying them admission on one pretext or the other.

As per the petition, Gulafshah and Nisha Parveen were denied admission in Class VI in Sarvodaya Kanya Bal Vidyalaya, Babarpur, on the ground that they were from Uttar Pradesh.

Firdosh was denied admission in Class VII in Government Girl Senior Secondary School, Khajuri Khas, and Rabia was denied admission to Class VIII in Rajkiya Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, Khajuri Khas, on the ground that there were no seats available in the schools.

Uzma Bano and Samreen Bano were denied admission in Class IX and VI, respectively, by Government Girls Senior Secondary School, New Ashok Nagar, alleging they were overage.

Rakhi Jain and Ritika Jain were denied readmission in Class VIII and IX, respectively, in Government Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, Gokulpur, alleging that dropped out students could not be readmitted.

Ashok Agarwal, counsel for the girls, argued before the court that the denial of admission to these girls by Delhi government schools was illegal and unconstitutional. "These cases of the girl students are only few instances. Government schools are invariably denying admission to thousands of students on false and illegal grounds,'' he said.

"Government schools are the only hope for the children of the masses and if these schools deny them admission, where would they go,'' Agarwal added.

TIMES OF INDIA, July 28, 2010