Hair-snipping case: Kageri gives clean chit to school

Minister for Primary and Secondary, Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri, on Tuesday gave a clean chit to the management of Oxford English School in Nandini Layout over allegations of discrimination against students admitted under Right To Education (RTE).

Answering a question by Congress leader Motamma and other members in the Legislative Council, Kageri said it was clear from preliminary investigation that there was no role of the school management in the incident of the students’ hair being cut.

“The government will ensure that there is no discrimination against students admitted under RTE. It has asked the private school managements also to ensure the same. I agree there are confusions in implementing the RTE Act. We will ensure such problems are resolved,” he said.

Motamma said the government should not defend private schools as the discrimination against students was serious in nature and more investigation was needed in this regard.
“Does this mean that what we saw on television and other media is wrong.

Pictures don’t lie,” she said. Kageri said he would again go through the reply given by the school management and if proved guilty, action would be initiated against them.
 
He said the Government had formed a high-level advisory committee to address problems in implementing the RTE Act.

The team comprises members from private managements too. In the current academic year (2012-13), 45,912 students have been admitted in 7,611 unaided schools under the 25 per cent quota for students from the marginalised classes that RTE Act provides for.

The minster said the Act stated that no child shall be subjected to physical or mental harassment and whoever contravened the provisions shall be liable for disciplinary action.