BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court has come to the rescue of 24 children who were denied admission under the Right to Education (RTE) Act by an elite school in the city by passing an interim order to admit them to Class 1.
Justice B Manohar passed the interim order against National Hill View Public School located at Rajeshwarinagar. Energy Minister D K Shivakumar is the chairman of the school.
The court issued the order after hearing a petition filed by six-year-old Prateeksha K Gowda and 23 other children. The judge also issued emergent notice to the school and to government officials such as the Principal Secretary, Department of Education, Commissioner and Deputy Director of Public Instructions, and Block Education Officer, Bengaluru South Division.
The petitioners contended that their parents approached the school with the allotment letters issued by the government under RTE seeking admission to Class 1. But the school locked the gate, they contended.
They alleged that the school staff ignored the parents, thereby displaying immense stigma, taking into account the social and economic backgrounds of the children. The casteist and elitist behaviour of the school is condescending. Even the advice of the BEO was not considered. Therefore, it was inevitable for them to approach the court.