Parents demonstrate outside the district collectorate on Saturday. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Jamshedpur, April 26: Ten parents and their wards demonstrated outside the district collectorate today to protest against detention and harassment over puja donation by two Telco-based schools.

The parents, gathered under NGO Mother Teresa Welfare Trust, subsequently lodged complaints with East Singhbhum deputy commissioner Amitabh Kaushal against Gulmohur High School and Ramakrishna Mission Lady Indra Singh School.

Sources from the trust alleged that ICSE-affiliated Gulmohur High School had issued transfer certificates to nearly 22 Class IX students declaring them ‘failed’.

They further alleged that principal Sunita Sinha had told parents to admit the ‘weaker’ students for special classes at Sacred Heart Convent School.

“However, after admission it was found that the students were attending classes under National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) instead of ICSE. We met the principal in March and she assured us to take corrective measures within a week. But, no action followed,” said chairperson of the trust Harpal Singh Thapar.

In another case, parents of Ramakrishna Mission Lady Indra Singh School’s sixth grader Gurleen Kaur alleged that their ward was not promoted to the next class as she did not pay chanda for Saraswati Puja in February. Gurleen’s mother approached the trust, which lodged a complaint with East Singhbhum district education officer Indu Bhushan Singh. “The government-aided school retaliated by giving the child a transfer certificate. The school management allegedly told Gurleen’s mother that the girl could seek readmission after payment of Rs 525,” said Thapar.

The school authorities even stopped Gurleen’s elder brother and eighth grader Aditya Singh from attending classes, Thapar added.

Thapar further revealed that they had approached district education officer Indu Bhushan Singh on both issues, but no action was taken.

“After receiving the complaints, we met authorities of both schools and the district education officer, but to no avail. We were forced to approach the deputy commissioner. If we fail to get justice from the administration, we will have no option but to take legal course,” said Thapar.

Deputy commissioner Amitabh Kaushal said they were looking into the complaints.

“I have called a meeting with the district education officer today to sort out the issues,” said Kaushal.