By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: Naazmeen and Nasara, two teenaged Muslim girls, are seeking admission in class XI as they have successfully cleared class X examination but the government school in question is blocking their road to higher education. Yet, their hope is alive as the Delhi High Court has issued notice to education department.
According to the petition filed by their counsels advocates Ashok Agarwal and Anuj Aggarwal, Naazmeen and Nasara are being denied admission only because of their alleged overage.
Naazmeen and Nasara were studying in class X in Vipin Chandra Pal, Govt. SKV school in Babarpur in Delhi. They appeared in class X, CBSE examination 2006-07. They could not get passing marks in Mathematics. They appeared for compartmental examination as private candidate in CBSE class X examination 2007-08. Both passed the examination.
Thereafter they approached their school, Vipin Chandra Pal, Govt. SKV, for admission in class XI but the school door was shut on them by the Principal, saying that they are 18 plus. These students approached several higher officials in the education department but none of them clarified the position and the principal continued to deny admission to them.
After running from pillar to post, these students of Janta Colony in Delhi’s Welcome area ultimately filed a writ petition in the Delhi High Court seeking directions to the Government to grant them admission in class XI.
Hearing the case on September 4, the court issued notice to the Director of Education, Govt. of N.C.T of Delhi, seeking explanation as to why admission was refused to these girl students.
Advocates Ashok Agarwal and Anuj Aggarwal contended that the school was not justified in declining admission to these girl students merely because of the fact that they had crossed 18 years of age. In spite of being socially and economically backward, these Muslim girls want to study further and if they are denied admission even by the Government school, where would they go for their education, submitted the advocates.
The next hearing of the case will be on September 19.
This treatment to Muslim girl students is when their literacy rate is 15 point below the national literacy rate.
According to the 2001 Census, the all India literacy rate is 65.6% but the all India Muslim literacy rate is 59.1%. Muslim women’s literacy is just 50.1%, much below their male counterparts. In Delhi Muslim literacy rate is 66.6% and Muslim women’s is 59.1%. Major states which have Muslim literacy rates below state literacy rates are Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Assam, West Bengal and Punjab.
As for the eligible age for admission in class XI is concerned, the government school which denied them admission seems to be on the losing ground.
The admission guidelines of the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan reads: “There is no age restriction for admission to class XI provided the concerned child is seeking admission in the year of passing the class X examination.”
As Naazmeen and Nasara have cleared CBSE class X examination in the 2007-08 academic session, there is no age factor for denying them admission in the 2008-09 session.
The CBSE also says that there would be no age restriction on admission in class XI provided the candidate had cleared class X according to the CBSE rules.
After failing in a subject in class X examination during the 2006-07 session, these two Muslim girls cleared the paper as private candidate in 2007-08. While doing so they fulfilled all criteria of a private candidate.
According to CBSE, main eligibility conditions for a candidate to appear as Private Candidate for Delhi Secondary School (Class X) Examination are as follows:
*Candidates who had failed at the Delhi Secondary School Examination of the Board;
*Teachers serving in educational institutions affiliated to the Board;
*Women candidates who are bonafide residents of the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
Naazmeen and Nasara have fulfilled all these conditions. But if they will be able to get admission in class XI, is yet to be seen.