Centre seeks report on hair-snipping incident

 The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has sought a report from the Karnataka government into the alleged hair-snipping incident of children admitted under the RTE Act at a private school in Bangalore.

A ministry official said: “If the allegations against the school are proven true, then it was in violation of the provisions of the RTE Act. We have sought a report from the State education secretary on the alleged discrimination against students admitted under the RTE Act in the private school.”

The model rules framed by the Union government states that children belonging to economically weaker and disadvantaged sections, admitted the RTE Act, shall not be segregated from the other children in the classroom. Nor shall their classes be held at places and timings different from the classes held for the other children.

“It further provides that such children shall not be discriminated against from the rest in any manner pertaining to entitlements and facilities such as textbooks, uniforms, library and ICT (information communication technology) facilities, extra-curricular activities and sports,” the official said.

Harassment

The four students, admitted under the 25 per cent economically weaker section quota of the RTE Act at the Oxford English School in Nandini Layout, were allegedly subjected to harassment and humiliation. Their hair was allegedly snipped and they were made to stand separately during the assembly. The children were allegedly not allowed to eat with others and their lunch boxes were checked by the school authorities.
 
Parents alleged that the names of their children had not been entered in the attendance register and the school made them sit in the back benches and no homework was given to them.

Recently, the National Human Rights Commission also issued a notice to the Karnataka government, seeking a report within four weeks into the alleged discrimination of EWS quota students in the school.

The Commission had also asked the chief secretary of Karnataka to inform if any action was taken by the State government against the school authorities. “If the allegations are true, it raises a serious issue of violation of the children’s right,” the NHRC noted.