Cancer patient being harassed by school?

Student says she was assured promotion to class XII, but was later failed

Anjali Manocha is suffering from stomach cancer and is in the last stages. As she had to undergo a surgery she was not able to take her class XI examination. The school principal had allegedly assured her that keeping her medical condition in mind, she would be promoted to class XII. The student of Ramjas School at Anand Parvat saw the promise fulfilled. However, after four months she was asked to go back class XI with the report that she had failed in her exams.


Studied silence: The school in question

Anjali says earlier the principal had told her that as a matter of formality, she would be given an opportunity to appear in the examinations in May- June. "I agreed to take the examination. However, now the principal is not ready to promote me to the next class on some pretext or the other. Sometimes she says that I have failed in one or two subjects. But she is not ready to show me the answer papers," said the 17-year-old girl.

While studying in class XI in the academic year 2009-10 Anjali had to undergo an operation at AIIMS due to which she could not appear in the annual examinations. She was then promoted to class XII and was allowed to attend classes from March 25 to July 22. Later she was reportedly asked to take the annual exams or not to come to school.

"The school accepted the fee from us for April-June and July-September quarters on the basis that she was a student of class XII. I have also written to the Directorate of Education. However, I have not got any positive response from anyone," said her father Basant Manocha, a businessman by profession.

Her parents also reported the matter to the Deputy Director of Education. The Director of Education made an endorsement on the complaint to this effect: "Please speak to school authorities." Thereafter, the parents approached the principal of the school but the she expressed her helplessness in the matter. Her father alleged that the principal is not ready to listen to anything.

"CBSE has introduced continuous and comprehensive evaluation (CCE) in all affiliated schools w.e.f. October 2009 and if that evaluation method was applied in case of Anjali, she would stand automatically promoted to class XII. In terms of the said scheme of CBSE, she was also entitled to an opportunity of re-test.

Unfortunately, the principal did not pay any attention to our requests," her father said.
When MiD DAY contacted the school principal, Rajni Arora, she refused to comment saying: "The matter is still under consideration and it will be inappropriate to comment at this point of time."