[Schooling in India] Bishop’s Flawed Reason for Detaining a Student

Today in Pune Mirror there was a  news that The Bishop’s School has detained a boy who has passed IX finals and has also advised him to seek a new school. I was shocked at the irresponsible behaviour of the school which has detained the boy in Class IX citing indiscipline as the reason. 

The child in question is Hossein Ali Khan. He has got 42.29% and 43.57% in the terms exams and 54.86% in final exams. But overall percentage is 43.29 and he has failed in two subjects. It shows that there is improvement with each passing term. Hossein’s mark sheet talks about “Personal Assessment,” which says,

1. Turn Out – Satisfactory
2. Punctuality – Good
3. Responsibility – Satisfactory
4. Concern for Others – Satisfactory

The reason for detaining as cited in the mark sheet is

Hossein has been advised to look for another school due to his indiscipline. However, if he wishes to continue in the same school, he will have to repeat the class due to his failure in the over all result.

The reasons that the school has cited are flawed. Let us examine them. School says that he is being advised to look for another school due to indiscipline, however if we see the Personal Assessment which is the part of same mark sheet and that I have reproduced above, then there is nothing which says that he has shown any indiscipline. Discipline, as far as my opinion is, will be the part of Responsibility and he has “Satisfactory” performance in this area. If he has shown indiscipline then there would have been something in “Personal Assessment” to suggest the same. Therefore, the school doesn’t have any reason to rusticate him from the school or ask him to search for another school.

Second part says that he will have to repeat the class due to his failure in the overall result. Now, I have also been a student of ICSE board and as per the CISCE regulations, the pass marks for each subject is 35% [Chapter II, C (3)]. As per Chapter II, C(1),

 Pass Certificates will be awarded to candidates who at one and the same examination have entered and sat for seven subjects as detailed in Chapter II, B(1)…and attained the pass standard in at least five subjects which must include the subject English.

By the above two provisions of ICSE exam regulations, Hossein is clearly pass and there is no reason for his detention in the same class.

So, Bishop should accept its fault and give the boy his legitimate chance to study in the same school.