CHANDIGARH: From now onwards if a private school is found guilty of harassing any student for not being able to deposit school fees in Punjab then this will attract five-year jail term and a fine of Rs 5 lakh to the concerned teacher or employee.
Sources said that the Director Education Department (Secondary), Punjab School Education Board has issued written instructions in this regard to all the District Education Officers (Secondary).
As per the National Child Rights Commission if the children are harassed and discrimination by school authorities if they are unable to pay their fees then penal action will follow in the event of non-compliance of the provisions of section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act 2015. In this regard, you are being send a copy of the act and it is made clear that these orders should be followed in letter and spirit, states the order and these orders should be circulated to all the schools and this office should then be intimated.
The State Education Department asked the district authorities to ensure compliance with the instructions of the commission and send reports to the state educations headquarters.
"I agree that the children should not be harassed by the school authorities they should interact with the parents only, by way of meeting them or sending them written letters or legal notice. The children should not be discriminated, as it is not the fault of the child," says Gurnam Kaur Grewal, Principal Guru Nank Public School, Sector 36.
Last month the Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CCPCR) had ordered the management of Mount Carmel School in Sector 47 Chandigarh to submit a written undertaking that the expelled students, whose parents are protesting fee hike in the previous session, should be allowed to attend school from April 11. As many as 200 parents had moved a local court against the fee hike for the session 2017-18.
Meanwhile, in another incident in January this year, the Punjab Education Department had transferred all 16 staff members of Government Senior Secondary School in Tohra village of Patiala district for allegedly passing casteist remarks against a Scheduled Caste girl student.