Father filed a complaint alleging that she was humiliated by teachers and the principal
A 13-year-old girl jumped from the terrace of a three-storey building in Shivajinagar on Thursday because, according to her parents, she failed in the 9th standard exams.
The girl was rushed to a private hospital from where she was shifted to NIMHANS. She was thereafter taken to Hosmat where she had to be operated upon. She is now recuperating in the ICU.
Her father told The Hindu, “She told my wife that the teachers and the principal reprimanded her in front of everyone. They told her to study well or else sit at home.”
The family members tried pacifying her. But she went to the terrace and jumped off the building. Passers-by informed the family who rushed her to a hospital. Her father, a realtor, said she suffered fractures on her legs and spine. He filed a complaint against the school management at Shivajinagar police station. He said the school claims to improve the performance of students who lagged behind in academics, has a strict rule against corporal punishment and is against scolding students.
The management had reiterated the school’s policy at a recent parent-teacher meeting. They had also announced that no student would be failed until the 9th standard and that they would provide extra coaching for weaker students to improve their performance, he said. “Despite their assurance, my daughter was failed and teachers scolded her in front of everyone,” he alleged.
K Anand, Director (Primary), Department of Public instruction, said as per the Right to Education (RTE) rules, a student cannot be failed only until the 8th standard. A senior police inspector said, “We are waiting for her to recover. We want to ascertain the reason behind her extreme step.”
