Mumbai: Vikhroli school’s fee remark on LC sparks fresh debate

A yearold issue over remarks on a students schoolleaving certificate for nonpayment of fees has ignited a fresh debate after it was brought before the Maharashtra State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights The management of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Vidyalaya Vikhroli submitted an affidavit defending their actions citing compliance with the Maharashtra State Secondary School Code of 1971 which allows such remarks on leaving certificates However education activists and complainants argue that the rule is outdated and damaging to studentsThe issue revolves around a complaint filed last year by activists Nitin Dalvi and Dhiraj Kamble who argue that remarks about unpaid fees on students leaving certificates can stigmatise the child and create difficulties when seeking admission to other schools or colleges This practice they say violates the principles of the Right to Education RTE Act and recent court rulingsThe backgroundIn 2023 the administration of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Vidyalaya added a remark on a Std X studentrsquos leaving certificate LC about his pending fees The remark reads ldquoRs 61640 balance fees for the year 20192020 to 20222023rdquo The student who could not get into any college in Mumbai secured admission to a Nanded college which questioned him about the remarkThe dispute had a direct impact on the student as he scored 84 per cent in the SSC board exam but struggled to secure admission to a college in Mumbai His mother said having such remarks on LCs is embarrassing for parents and children According to her the school administration only provided her sonrsquos SSC mark sheet and school LC after she pleaded for days with them and submitted a written undertaking saying she would pay the outstanding amountThe studentrsquos mother Pranali is a single parent Her husband passed away when she was seven months pregnant Following alleged illtreatment from her inlaw the motherson duo was forced to migrate to Mumbai from NandedPranali said ldquoDuring the pandemic I faced difficulties in paying his school fees The school management needs to understand the situation parents face I did not pay the fees but why was my son embarrassed about this It is unfair I hope the commission sees through their pressure tactic and rules in favour of studentsrdquoSchools defence in affidavitIn the affidavit dated September 12 the schools headmistress Sujata Ghodke defended the institutersquos actions claiming that the remarks on the leaving certificate were made in accordance with the Maharashtra State Secondary School Code S S Code of 1971 The code permits schools to include remarks about unpaid fees when issuing certificates to students leaving the schoolThe affidavit also highlighted several other points related to the financial structure of the school ldquoDr Babasaheb Ambedkar Vidyalaya is an unaided English medium school that does not receive government funding and thus the school relies entirely on fees to cover operational costs including teacher salaries Despite fee arrears students were never barred from attending classes or sitting for examsrdquo the affidavit statedThe affidavit clarified that the studentrsquos parents had not paid fees for multiple years ldquoDespite this the school allowed him to complete his exams and issued a leaving certificate although with a remark noting the unpaid feesrdquo the affidavit readsThe affidavit highlighted the schoolrsquos compliance with Section 291 of the S S Code which outlines the conditions under which an LC can be withheld including nonpayment of fees The school further submitted a detailed fee balance report covering the academic years from 2005 to 2023 illustrating the institutionrsquos reliance on fee payments and the financial constraints posed by unpaid dues Ghodke through this affidavit requested the Child Rights Commission to dismiss the complaint arguing that the actions of the complainants were intended to harass the school and that no relief should be grantedActivists demand changeEducation activists however believe the practice of placing feerelated remarks on LCs needs to be abolished They argue that the 1971 school code is outdated and modern interpretations of child rights and education policy no longer support such measuresThe child rights commission which is still deliberating the case pointed to various court rulings on protecting the dignity of students One of the key rulings referenced in the case was the Madras High Courtrsquos decision which ordered schools to stop using LCs as leverage for fee collectionNitin Dalvi a representative of the NGO Maharashtra Rajya Vidyarthi PalakShikshak Mahasangh Maharashtra State StudentParent Teacher Federation has emphasised that recent judgments including a significant ruling from the Madras High Court have prohibited schools from making negative remarks on leaving certificates to enforce fee collection Dalvi stated ldquoA student should not be involved in the fee payment process The LC is a personal document and should not carry remarks that stigmatise the child or affect their mental health This is a violation of Section 17 of the RTE Act and disciplinary action should be taken against those responsiblerdquoDalvi added that according to the Madras High Court ruling action should be taken against school officials under Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act for issuing such remarks He insists that if the commission fails to take action he and his organisation will approach the High Court for directives against the schools principal and trustees2023Year school issued LC with negative remarks