OSCPCR asks school to show cause for ‘poor marks’ to students

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (OSCPCR) has issued a show cause notice to a private school affiliated to CBSE following allegations of less marks given to students in Class X board exam. Parents alleged the school authorities forced them to get their children admitted to the same school in Class XI or face marks deduction. The commission has also written to CBSE regional office and district education officer, Khurda, to conduct an inquiry and submit a report.
Several parents of St. Xavier International School, Patia, staged protest in front of the school alleging that the authorities deliberately gave less marks to the students because they did not want to continue in the same school.
OSCPCR chairperson Sandhyabati Pradhan said, “It is a very serious matter and could have adverse impact on the mind and career of students. Moreover, schools are meant to build characters. But if they are themselves engaged in such activities, what kind of citizens will be make? At the time of pandemic, when extra support and care should be given to students, this alleged act of the school is unacceptable.”
The OSCPCR chairperson has served a show cause notice and have sought an explanation as to why legal action should not be taken against the school for deducting marks of meritorious students.
When asked about the charges, B N Patnaik, chairman of St. Xavier International School, said, “The allegations are baseless and with ill intentions. I am open to all enquiry and the allegations need to be probed. So far 62,000 students have moved the Supreme Court against faulty marking system. And the Supreme Court has asked schools to submit answer sheets based on which marks were given. Let the truth come out.”
The Odisha Abhibhabak Mahasangha (OAM) has sought the intervention of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan. “It is indeed a matter of grave concern. The parents whom the school authorities have pressurised to make their children continue in the same school and were charging thousands for the same, have audio recordings as proof. The CBSE should immediately withdraw affiliation to the school,” said Basudev Bhatt, chairperson of OAM.
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