Karnataka: Headmistress, warden, teachers file affidavits in HC against ill-treatment of students

BENGALURU: The headmistress, warden and the teacher of a 126-year old school in Bengaluru have filed personal affidavits in the High Court of Karnataka that the children will not be ill-treated. This came after the HC directed them to "treat them like their own children."

Some students from the girls' convent school in Bengaluru went missing after misunderstanding with the teachers. They were traced in Chennai following a habeas corpus petition and produced before the High Court. Finding that there was "disturbance not only in the family of the students, but also in the institution as well as in the society at large," the headmistress, warden and the teacher under whom the children are studying were directed to file their personal affidavits.

In her affidavit, the headmistress stated, "I say that whatever the reason the children have gone away, I was severely stressed. On finding them I am joyful and will see to it that in future there will not be slightest kind of ill-treatment or anything to these children from any teaching as well as non-teaching staff."

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The affidavit also stated, "I undertake to conduct periodic awareness classes with the help of psychologists, professional counseling staff, doctors and legal teams to upgrade the knowledge of the teachers and non-teaching staff to handle the unwarranted situations so as to bring the children to right mind frame and right track." The warden and the high school math and physics teacher also filed similar affidavits.

The HC then directed the teachers to treat the students as their children. "We request the institution authorities to ensure proper counselling to the children through the doctors with all human touch. Either the Headmistress or warden or the teachers shall not utter any word which would hurt the children and treat them like their own children and encourage the students to continue their studies and become good citizens of this country," the division bench of Justice B Veerappa and Justice KS Hemalekha said in their recent judgement.

The court also had a word of advice for the students. "On instruction by us, the children hugged the head of the institution, warden as well as the teacher and requested their pardon and gave assurance to the teachers as well as the Court that they will concentrate on their studies and would become good citizens of this country," the court noted. The court warned the parents as well. "We have also warned the parents of the detenu-students that they behave well with human approach with the children,” it said. The court left it to "the discretion of the children to decide whether they would stay in the hostel or stay with their parents."