Article published in Deccan Chronicle - 25/06/10

A city school has asked 72 students to leave because their parents participated in the anti fee hike movement in the city in the last academic year.
The reason the school gave was that the parents were apparently “tarnishing the school’s image”.

Protesting against this decision, the Hyderabad School Parents Association (HSPA) held a silent rally in front of the institution, Niraj Public School at Ameerpet on Thursday.

HSPA sources said the association lodged a complaint against the school with the district collector and the district educational officer (DEO) but no action has been taken. The DEO said he has recommended the government to withdraw “no objection certificate” of the school.

June 24: The District Education Officer, Mr Jagannath Reddy, said he has told the government to take action against the school.

“I conducted an inquiry into the complaints lodged by the parents and I wrote to the government recommending cancellation of the school’s NOC. This will also lead to the school’s deaffiliation from CBSE. The government has to take action now,” said the district education officer Mr Jagannath Reddy.

“It is our fundamental right to protest. The school gave Transfer Certificates to students because their parents protested against the exorbitant fees,” said Mr K.V.R. Kumar, secretary, HSPA. Sources say 32 of the 72 students who were given TCs have applied to other schools for admissions.

For the remaining 40 students, the school management has asked their parents to give a bond that they will not participate in any more anti-fee movements to withdraw the TCs.

The school’s principal Mr Geevitesh Reddy was not available for comment and office bearer Mr Rasheed and other school authorities refused to comment.