PUNE/ MUMBAI: The school management of Saraswati Mandir School, Mahim, Mumbai, recently dismissed Principal Banu Patel, after she was found guilty of offences like corporal punishment and irregular fee hike.
The dismissal took place after a complaint regarding the same was filed with the Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
The Education Department, after probing into the issue, directed the management to take action against her.
The probe began when Nitin Waghmare, a parent, went to the Commission after his son was made to stand outside class for five hours because he was late in paying his hiked fees by three days. Another parent, Makarand Kale, said that his twins were expelled from the school because he refused to pay the fees for three months, and instead preferred to pay each month.
A probe into the matter by the Education Inspector in the area, BB Chavan, found that cases of corporal punishment did exist in the school, causing a great deal of emotional distress to the students. Also, he pointed out that the school had increased the fee by 25 per cent in the year 2017-18.
The Commission, on receiving the Education Department's report, gave them the freedom to take action against the guilty. The Department instructed the school to take action against the Principal by December 20, 2017, following which Patel was dismissed.
Speaking about the case, Adv Siddharthshankar Sharma, founder President, Bharatiya Krantikari Sena, who had an active part in the proceedings of the case, said, “While the Principal's issue has been sorted, the matter is still with the Commission regarding the irregular fee hike. However, considering how the case has progressed until now, we are positive that these issues too will be resolved in favour of the parents.”
