The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Karnataka government to submit a report within four weeks on the allegation that a private school in Bangalore cut off tufts of hair of four children, admitted under the Right to Education Act quota.
The Commission has also sought to know from the chief secretary whether any action had been initiated against the school authorities.
The four students were admitted to first standard under the 25 per cent quota meant for economically weaker section.
Harassment
The children were allegedly harassed. Strands of their hair were chopped off to identify them as students under the RTE quota, and they were also made to stand separately during the assembly in the school.
They were not allowed to have food with other children in the school and their lunch boxes were checked routinely before they entered their classes, according to the list of complaints against the school authorities.
Rights violation
The parents of the children also alleged that the names of their wards have not been entered in the attendance register and the school makes them sit in the back benches and no home work is given to them, the commission observed.
“If the allegations are true, it raises a serious issue of violation of the children’s right,” the NHRC noted.
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