Akshay Pratishthan School expels Class VIII student in violation of RTE Act, 2009

Social Jurist A Civil Rights Group To The Director of Education Government of NCT of Delhi Old Secretariat Building Delhi-110054 November 23, 2012 Subject: Complaint against expulsion of class VIII student Master Akash Paswan by Akshay Pratishthan School, Vasant Kunj Dear Sir I have received a complaint from Class VIII student Master Akash Paswan, S/o Shri Birju Paswan, R/o 35/9, Kishan Garh, Vasant Kunj, Delhi-110070, Mobile No. 9312599267 against Akshay Pratishthan School, Sector-D, Pocket-III, Delhi-110070, that the school has expelled him on the ground of alleged misconduct and has refused to take the him back in despite repeated requests and apologies tendered. The alleged misconduct pertains to leaving the school premises during school-hours without permission for a short duration on October 19, 2012. I have also personally spoken to the School Principal but the Principal is adamant not take the student back in. The action taken by the school is clearly violative of Section 16 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2012 which reads as under: Prohibition of holding back and expulsion—No child admitted in a school shall be held back in any class or expelled from school till the completion of elementary education. It is further submitted that the alleged misconduct attributed to the child is of minor nature and it is the responsibility of the school to provide counseling to the child for his mistake. Instead, the school has chosen to wash its hands off and jeopardized the child’s fundamental right to education in addition. You are requested to direct the school to take the child back in with immediate effect so that his studies can be continued as the child has already been out of school for more than a month. With regards Yours truly Ashok Agarwal, Advocate Advisor, Social Jurist M: 09811101923