EWS student harassed in class, not allowed to go to toilet

arents of a seven-year-old boy, who is studying in a private school, have approached Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit alleging that their ward is being harassed by the school staff because he belongs to the economically weaker section (EWS). According to Dayanand Jha, who is a cable mechanic, his son Harsh, a Class II student in St Lawrence Convent School in Geeta Colony, was not allowed to go to the washroom by his teacher despite repeated requests. "He repeatedly requested his teacher to let him go to the washroom, but in spite of seeing that he was in severe pain, she did not allow him to go there. Due to this he spoilt his shorts in front of the whole class," said Jha. Jha said that this was not the first time that his child was "harassed". "Earlier the staff of this school used to segregate all the students who belong to the EWS category and they were asked to sit separately from the other students. When I objected to this, they started targeting my son so that I am forced to withdraw his admission." When contacted, Kumud Duggal, who is in charge of St Lawrence Convent School, said that she had no "problem" with the issue. "I have nothing to say. You can contact the school office." Aggrieved by the incident, the All India Parents' Associations (AIPA), an umbrella organisation of parents, have asked the CM to take action against the school. AIPA president, Subhash Agarwal, said that it was a case of "apartheid". "This school has been harassing and humiliating EWS students one way or the other right from beginning, and a number of complaints have been made to the Director of Education," Agarwal said. The AIPA has demanded that the public land allotted to the school should be taken back on account of continuous breach of land allotment conditions. Harsh's parents say that the boy has undergone severe trauma and has become quiet. "He was laughed at by the other students. The teachers did little to console him and he was asked to stand at the school gate," Jha said. He added that the "discrimination" against his child started after he filed a complaint against the school for not providing computer education to students belonging to the EWS category. "I filed the case in court that I won in 2011. Since then the school staff have been targeting my son."