On Republic Day, Dalit boy prohibited from attending classes

The difficulties caused by currency ban seem to have no end, and recently, a Class 5 student, Kishan M and his mother had to bear the brunt of it. Around ten days ago, the secretary cum headmaster of Kishan’s school National English School at Yallapura, Manjunath, asked the kid not to attend his classes until he pays his fee which amounts to ₹22,000. 

Then Kishan’s mother Prema went to the Block Education Officer (BEO) Basavaraju and explained their plight following which the officer requested the headmaster to allow the child to attend his classes since examination is around the corner.  

According to the New Indian Express report, when on Republic Day Kishan and his mother went to the school the duo was humiliated by the headmaster. "The HM screamed at me and reiterated that he will never allow my son to attend classes in the school", the mother was quoted by the daily as saying. Kishan said that the headmaster scolded and bullied him for not being able to pay fees.  

On the other hand, the headmaster told the New Indian Express that he had asked the boy not to attend his classes until he pays the fee. He was quoted as saying, “How can I run the show as mine? This is an unaided institution. Over eight students out of 450 have been irregular in paying the fees."

Kishan is a student of the school since kindergarten and paid the fees regularly until demonetisation led to severe stress in the economy and cash crunch. The child’s father earlier earned a living by stitching bags on piece work basis, but due to cash ban, the manufacturers stopped the orders leaving them penniless. Earlier, the family also received Grameen Koota money, but this micro-finance business also stopped because of the cash crunch. 

The Block Education Officer has assured that he will again take up the matter and try to negotiate with the headmaster of the school.

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