In one of its kind of decision, the Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MCPCR) has directed Catholic Mission School in Manipur to pay a compensation of Rs 50,000 to a class VI student, who was expelled for allegedly cheating during the final examination last year.
The commission issued the order following a complaint by the student’s father, under Sections 31(1) and 32(3) of the Right to Education Act, 2009, and ordered the principal to pay the compensation within 30 days. MCPCR member Keisham Pradipkumar said, “The commission has ordered the school to pay the compensation as a penalty for the trauma caused to the student and also for hampering her academic career”.
According to MCPCR, the girl was traumatised after she was expelled on grounds of alleged cheating during her exams in November last year. On January 19, her father filed an application with the Zonal Education Officer (ZEO) Wangoi and requested his intervention in the case.
The ZEO reportedly asked the principal of the school to cancel the girl’s transfer certificate and re-admit the student in the appropriate class for the 2018 academic year. However, school authorities failed to comply with the ZEO’s direction.
Subsequently, the father of the student submitted an application to the commission following which a case was registered. Pradipkumar said legal action would be initiated against the school if it failed to comply with the commission’s order.