Madras HC helps Class X student to appear for board exam

Madurai: The Madras High Court Bench here has allowed a class X student to appear for the board exam this year after his Tirunelveli-based private matriculation school barred him citing 'behavioural' issues.

Disposing of the petition filed by the boy's father, Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana directed the school to ensure that the student appeared for the examinations this year.

The petitioner submitted the school authorities were barring his son from writing the examinations as they feared he might score less, affecting the overall result of the institution.

The school at Vannarapettai in Tirunelveli city refused permission to the boy on the grounds that he was mentally unstable and prone to weird behaviours, he claimed.

He challenged the school action by relying on a circular sent by the Director of School Education to the Chief Educational Officers in all districts on February 11 this year, which stated that issuing of Transfer Certificates to less meritorious students before public examinations was a punishable offence.

The director observed that the issue of TC with an eye on increasing the pass percentage was a "completely wrong act" and such an action would jeopardise the future of students who actually required counselling and additional coaching.