Bhubaneswar: A Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)-affiliated private school in Odisha has received a show-cause notice from the Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (OSCPCR) after allegations of awarding less marks to students in the Class X board exam.
In a bizarre incident, parents alleged the school authorities forced their children to take admission to the same school in Class XI otherwise face marks reduction. The commission also wrote to CBSE regional office and Khruda district education officer to hold an inquiry and submit a report.
A protest was staged by several parents of St. Xavier International School, Patia, accusing the authorities of deliberately awarding less marks to the students as they did not want to continue in the same school.
“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,” OSCPCR chairperson Sandhyabati Pradhan was quoted as saying by The Times of India.
Asked about the charges, St. Xavier International School chairman BN Patnaik trashed all allegations. “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,” Patnaik was quoted as saying by the national daily.
However, the Odisha Abhibhabak Mahasangha (OAM) has demanded Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s intervention in the matter. “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,” OAM chairperson Basudev Bhatt said.
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