KOCHI: State Commission for Protection of Child Rights on Monday held that strict action would be taken against the headmasters of schools if they withheld the transfer certificate/mark lists or any other documents on account of dues a student owes to the school. This would be considered as blatant indiscipline and action would be initiated against the headmaster, the Commission said.
General education secretary, director, higher secondary director and CBSE Regional officer, have been instructed to issue orders asking to avoid delays in issuing documents by school authorities. A division bench consisting of Commission chairman P Suresh and member K Naseer issued the order while disposing of a petition filed by a student from Malabar English School, Mattannoor, Kannur, which withheld the TC of the student.
The Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, has stated that the headmaster has no authority to refuse or delay the issuance of TC if the parent has applied for the certificate. The school authorities can levy fees and other dues, if any, through established means. But withholding the certificate or denying them on account of dues will be considered a violation of child rights, the commission’s statement said.