5th standard student branded 'characterless' by school

The parents of ten-year-old Anurag (name changed), residents of Uttar Pradesh's Gonda district, about 200 kilometres from here, were shocked when they looked at the transfer certificate (TC) issued by his school.

Much to their dismay, they found that in the 'character' column in the TC, the school principal had written ' charitraheen' (characterless).

The parents initially thought that it might have been a mistake and contacted the principal but the latter told them that there was no mistake and that their son was indeed ''characterless''.

The parents alleged that the school management had issued them such a TC in a bid to punish the boy as they had complained against a teacher of the school, who had thrashed Anurag, a fifth standard student, a few days back.

According to the reports Anurag, a student at the primary school at Chatarauli village in the district, had a quarrel with some of his classmates last month.

Angry over the matter, a teacher of the school had allegedly thrashed Anurag holding him responsible for the quarrel.

The parents of Anurag lodged a complaint against the teacher with the principal of the school but the latter refused to act against him. Upset with the attitude of the principal, the parents said that they would withdraw their child from the school and that a TC be issued to him.

''The principal became very angry at our decision to withdraw Anurag,'' said the father of the child said.

The district education officials said that a senior official of the department had been asked to conduct a probe into the matter. ''We will act in accordance with the findings of the probe,'' said a senior official in Gonda.