Six students from Kandachipuram government boys higher secondary school were close to repeating their Class XI after the school authorities missed out on registering their names for the supplementary examination. While the school maintains 'server error' as the reason behind missing out the students, the parent of one boy alleged caste discrimination, stated a report in The New Indian Express.
Official sources said, about 90 students, out of a total of 206, in the school had failed Class XI. The school administration had applied for the supplementary exam in the second week of May, leaving out eight long-absentee students from the lot, sources said. The school should have registered the rest of the 82 students, but it was only after the admit cards arrived in July, did the teachers realised that six students had been left out.
What a parent has to say
Subsequently, D Christina* (name changed), parent of one of those left out, filed a complaint to the Chief Minister's cell, stating that despite paying a retest fee of Rs 305, her son's application was not registered. "This was motivated by the Computer Science teacher in the school who was responsible for registering the applications for the exams, because when I went to the school to inquire about the issue, the teacher, Guru, spoke harshly about my son's education," she alleged in the petition. The document also accused the teacher and the headmaster of purposefully doing this to her son, since they are Dalits.
Inquiry on?
Responding to the issue, the district education officer (DEO), who did not want to be named, told The New Indian Express, "During the departmental investigation the teachers were asked about missing six students' applications for the retest, on Monday (August 7). They blamed the erroneous server of the school education department website." The DEO dismissed allegations of caste bias behind the incident, as the six students belonged to different communities, including MBC and SC.
"However, a further probe by the chief educational officer in the coming days will determine if the teachers are responsible for this error. Beyond the issue, the students will continue with their Class XII, and their higher education will not be affected," the DEO added.
