Six students moved the Delhi High Court on Monday after being refused admission by various government-run schools in the city, terming it a violation of their right to education as guaranteed under the the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 and the Delhi School Education Act, 1973.
The six — Heena Khan, Baloon, Barkha, Rizwana, Muhammed Fazil and Amir Khan — moved the High Court through advocate Ashok Agarwal. The hearing is likely to take place on August 4.
Heena Khan (12) was denied admission to Class VII at the Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Jahangirpuri, without any reason being offered, according to the complainant. Baloon was denied admission to Class IX by the Government Co-ed Senior Secondary School, Ghazipur, on the ground that she needed a ration card for the same. Amir Khan was turned away by the same school on the ground that students from Uttar Pradesh are not admitted.
Barkha (12) was initially admitted in Class VI by the Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Jahangirpuri. According to the complainant, “fee was also received, but after two-three days, she was removed from the school without any reason being given and the fee was also returned to her parents”.
Rizwana was denied admission to Class IX by the Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Khajuri Khas, while Muhammad Fazil (12) was denied a re-admission to Class VI by the Rajkiya Bal Madhyamik Vidyalaya, Jaffrabad, without any reason being offered.
Newsline had on July 27 carried a report on eight other girl students approaching the High Court alleging that government schools had refused them admission. The High Court had asked the government and the schools to explain by August 5 the reason for doing so.
“Denial of admission to these students by the schools has been challenged on the ground that it is illegal, unconstitutional and contrary to the RTE Act, 2009, the Delhi School Education Act, 1973, violative of Article 14 (Right to Equality), Article 21 (Right to Life with Dignity), Article 21-A (Right to Education) and Article 38 (Right to Social Justice) of the Indian Constitution read with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989),” says lawyer and activist Ashok Agarwal.
Agarwal added that government schools have been denying admission to thousands of children on illegal grounds. “Government schools are the only hope for these children. If these schools deny them admission, where would they go?”
Indian Express Aug 4, 2010
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