Delhi HC tears into DPS Dwarka for mistreating students over unpaid fees

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday (April 16) strongly criticised the Delhi Public School (DPS), Dwarka for treating certain students poorly because their parents could not pay school fees on time.

 

According to a report by Bar and Bench, Justice Sachin Datta said it was wrong for the school to separate these students from others. An inspection report led by the District Magistrate showed that these students were made to sit in the library, not allowed to eat at the canteen, and even stopped from talking to their classmates. “This Court is unable to countenance such conduct,” the judge said. 

 

 

“Any issue that the school may have as regards non-payment/ deficit payment of fees, has to be addressed in the framework of the provisions of the Delhi School Education Act, 1973... The same cannot possibly serve as a justification for indulging in harassment of the students and/ or subject them to discrimination/ indignity within the school premises, as a device or means to recover any outstanding fees.” the court said. 

 

The students had moved the court and shared how they were being treated unfairly. A report by an eight-member committee, which included senior academicians and officials from the Directorate of Education, confirmed that students who had not paid fees were being discriminated against.

 

The judge said the school’s behaviour was ‘disturbing’ and ordered it to stop such practices. The school has been told not to separate these students, not to stop them from going to classes, or from speaking to their friends.

 

“The school will also allocate section/s to students who have been promoted to the next/ higher class; any controversy/ dispute as regards fees shall not be a ground for not doing so,” the court said clearly.

 

The judge also asked government authorities to regularly inspect the school to make sure these directions are followed. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for May 5.

 

Senior advocate Puneet Mittal and lawyers RP Singh and Sakshi Mendiratta represented DPS Dwarka. The students were represented by lawyers Manish Gupta, Manoj Sharma, Manpreet Kaur, Prateek Dhankhar and others. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights was represented by lawyers Abhaid Paraikh and Katyayni Anand.

 

Lawyers Sameer Vashisht and Avni Singh appeared for the Delhi Government, while Satya Ranjan Swain and Ankush Kapoor represented the Department of Education.