Thane: 3-Member Committee To Probe Inaction Against Bhandup School For Withholding Student’s SSC Degree For 2 Years

Mumbai: A three-member committee has been constituted by the Deputy Directorate of Education, Mumbai to probe against an education inspector who allegedly did not act on complaints of a school that withheld a student’s degree as well as school leaving certificate (SLC) for two years citing outstanding dues of Rs 35,000.

The probe against education inspector Mushtaq Sheikh has been ordered following a complaint by Nitin Dalvi, the Mumbai region president of Maharashtra State Student-Parent Teacher Federation (MSSPTF). Dalvi, in his complaint, alleged that despite receiving a notice from the Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MSCPCR) a year ago, Sheikh had still not submitted his report on the matter. The MSCPCR had sought a report from Sheikh on why an action was not taken against the school.

The three-member committee headed by Nita Patil, Director of Bal Bhavan, Teaching Sub-Inspector (Brihanmumbai West) Dharmendra Naik, and Deputy Education Officer (Thane) Vaishali Hirde have been asked to investigate the matter and submit their report to the Deputy Directorate of Education.

They have been asked to investigate whether Sheikh took appropriate action against Dr Datta Samant Madhyamik Vidyalaya in Bhandup after the school withheld the degree and SLC of Isha Kanojiya, who took her SSC exam in 2021 and scored 70%.

Kanojia’s father, who is an autorickshaw driver and the sole bread-earner of the family at that time, was unable to pay the dues of Rs.35,000 and school had cited that as a reason for the extreme step. “But once media reports emerged after two years, the school waived off the fees and gave her the degree,” alleged Dalvi. The Free Press Journal had carried a report on the matter in July last year.

“At the time of giving her a degree, the school made her write a thank you note and based on that, the education inspector cleared the school and did not submit any report,” Dalvi added.

In her letter to the MSCPCR on September 30 this year, Kanojia wrote, “I’ve never withdrawn my complaint” and demanded action against the school management for “wasting my precious two academic years and causing mental stress to me”.

“The girl was denied her right to education for two years because of the high handedness of the school management. And Mushtaq Sheikh, who should have taken strict action against them, instead joined hands with the management and cleared them of all charges,” Dalvi alleged, adding that a criminal case should be registered against him.

“When Kanojia’s degree was withheld by the school, she and our parents visited the school several times with requests to release her result and SLC, but the school ignored our pleas. We requested for the payment of remaining dues in instalments, but they refused,” said Anurag Kanojia, Isha’s brother. He also accused the school of even blocking her efforts to find alternative schooling options.

With the Deputy Directorate of Education forming a high-level committee to investigate the matter, Kanojia and her family are “hopeful of finally getting justice”.