Shillong: Ascension Secondary School in the South Garo Hills district of Meghalaya is facing accusations of retaliating against a student involved in a legal dispute. Greneth M. Sangma, president of the Constitutional Rights Forum, claims the school barred a Class IX student named Bretwil N. Marak from his June 16 examination because he was supposedly under a case.
The tension began when school officials discovered a cigarette lighter, leading to an inquiry where the student identified his peers. Following this, the student reported being attacked by other pupils and physically assaulted by teacher Aloysius M. Sangma, who allegedly punched him on the chest and back. The student's parents responded by filing an FIR against the teacher, citing physical assault and corporal punishment.
Activists argue that preventing the student from sitting for his exams constitutes harassment and violates the Right to Education Act, 2009. Sangma described the school's actions as a direct attempt to pressure the family, stating that the decision to bar the student was a retaliatory measure. The complaint demands the immediate restoration of the student's testing rights and the suspension of the accused teacher while police investigate the claims.
Official complaints have been sent to the Meghalaya State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, the District School Education Officer, and the local Superintendent of Police. Ascension Secondary School management has yet to release a formal statement regarding the situation.
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