'Deserves to shut down': Delhi HC pulls up school for treating students with 'indignity'

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday pulled up Delhi Public School Dwarka for treating students over fee with "indignity" by confining them in a library and not allowing them to attend classes. Justice Sachin Datta said the school, which was treating students like "chattel", deserved to be shut down. The court said some safeguards were required to ensure students were not "tortured" by the school, which was running the institution merely as a "money making machine".

In dramatic scenes, several students in their school uniforms, with books and bags, were present during the court proceedings along with their parents. "I am concerned that you treated the students in a shabby and inhuman way... Inability to pay fees does not give the school the licence to treat students with such indignity," the judge said.

The high court, perused an inspection report of an eight-member inspection committee led by district magistrate (southwest) that flagged several discriminatory practices against students amid the fee hike row. Parents of such students claimed the school authorities harassed their children on the non-payment of the "unauthorised fee ". The committee's report revealed "an alarming state of affairs" in the school, the court said.

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It directed the institution to refrain from confining the students in the library, allowing them to attend classes and not segregating them from other students or preventing them from interacting with their friends in school aside and not to prevent them from accessing amenities. "One should criminally prosecute the principal of the school for this behaviours," the court said.

It was hearing an application filed on behalf of the students. While the counsel for the students claimed that they were ready to pay the approved fee amount, the school's lawyer contended that showcause notices were issued to the students in December itself but they failed to clear the dues till March after which they were asked not to come to the school. The counsel for the Delhi government' s Directorate of Education submitted that it issued a showcause notice to the school on April 8, asking the management to explain within seven days why action of derecognition should not be taken against it.