School denies issuing marksheet, certificate to Class 10 student for not paying fees

Mumbai: A Class 10 student, who had secured around 71% in the 2021 board examination, is not being able to pursue her higher education or take a job as her school, Dr Datta Samant Secondary School (English medium) in Bhandup, has withheld the marksheet and leaving certificate for not paying fees of ₹35,000.

“My father is an auto driver. During the pandemic, it was difficult for us to run our day-to-day expenses. So, we were not able to pay the fees,” the girl told HT. “I decided to do a job in a call centre. I applied and got selected by a company. When they demanded the mark sheet, I approached the school for the same so I could pay my dues and get my leaving certificate. However, the school denied it.”

After running from pillar to post to obtain the required documents, the girl’s father, Dilip Kanojia, decided to file a complaint against the school and approached social workers Swapnil Kargutkar and Nitin Dalavi of the Maharashtra State Student Parent Teacher Federation. With the help of the duo, the father filed a complaint with the Maharashtra State Child Rights Commission and the deputy director of education.

Dalavi said, “The student, who has been under immense stress, reveals that her academic progress has been severely hindered as a result of not being able to secure admission to Class 11. Moreover, due to the prevailing circumstances at home, she has been unable to seek alternative educational opportunities.”

Pointing out the government resolution on August 22, 2021, Dalavi added, “The education department issued a government order explicitly prohibiting schools from withholding results and leaving certificates due to unpaid fees or other reasons. Nevertheless, private schools persist in disregarding this directive, leaving parents and students overwhelmed.”

The school, however, said that the marksheet and the leaving certificate were withheld because the parents of the girl agreed to take the documents after settling the dues.

“We took written consent from the parent about holding the marksheet and leaving the certificate till payment of fees at the time of giving the hall ticket to the student. If the student approaches us, we are ready to give her all the documents withheld by the school after the payment of fees. Considering her financial condition, we are also thinking of making some concessions in the unpaid fees,” Sharad Patil, principal of the school, said.

Dalavi, however, demanded strict legal action against Dr Datta Samant School for callously wasting two precious years of the student’s academic life. “This egregious case serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need to address such issues and protect the rights of students who are suffering due to the negligence and arbitrariness of certain private educational institutions,” he added.