THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Though the management of St. Thomas Central School in Thiruvananthapuram called the 12th grade boy it had expelled for ‘prolonged hug’ for a discussion, no such move has been extended to the girl, who is studying in 11th grade. Meanwhile, SFI Thiruvananthapuram district committee took out a march to the school demanding that the students should be readmitted which led the school to give holiday on Thursday to the institution cancelling the exam scheduled for the day.
Father of the 17 year old boy confirmed to DC that his son received the registered letter sent by Sebastian T. Joseph, the school principal asking them to see him on Jan. 3, a day ahead of the model exams are scheduled to start. Now the boy and his family are hoping that he would be allowed to write the CBSE board exam scheduled for March next year. Shashi Tharoor MP had intervened in the issue on Tuesday where he spoke to the school management which saw them relaxing their earlier firm stand of not allowing the boy to write his model exam.
But the school authorities are not relaxing their stand against the girl student. Principal Sebastian T. Joseph told DC that since the girl had not submitted her transfer certificate from the previous school in Thiruvanant-hapuram, her admission got annulled. “The girl is no longer a student of our school. She joined St. Thomas Central School for 11th grade and had not submitted her original transfer certificate from the earlier school. The last date for 11th grade registration was on Aug. 31. Now the ball is before the CBSE board to decide on the admission of the girl,” said Sebastian T. Joseph.
On Wednesday, Dinesh Ram, CBSE regional officer based in Thiruvananthapuram had told DC that the CBSE had decided not to harm the two students. He had clarified that a decision will be taken keeping in mind the interest of the students and that they would not lose their academic year. The girl’s mother told DC that the school authorities should take into consideration her daughter’s future and should be allowed to resume her education at St Thomas Central School.
“My daughter’s future is at stake. I do not know how she will cope up if she loses a year. I am hoping and praying that she should not lose an academic year,” said the 35 year old mother of the girl to DC. A legal officer belonging to Child Rights Commission and a representative of Mahila Samakhya visited the girl and heard her woes. On Thursday, Elias George, senior IAS official and former CMD of Kochi Metro, wrote an open letter to the school authorities "to rise above a mean-spirited perspective of viewing this incident; to summon the 'better angels of your nature'".
He went on to add that since the school is a Christian management, he wish to remind them of a parable of the lost sheep in the Gospel of St. Luke, where the shepherd leaves behind his flock to rescue a single lost sheep implying that the girl should be taken back to the school. “Let wisdom and sense prevail", said Elias George whose two children had studied at St. Thomas Central School.
