SANGUEM: Twenty-six parents of the much in the news school in Rivona, have dealt a body blow to the idea of a Goa that embraces all, is inclusive and is non-discriminatory.
In a shameful act, the parents, claiming that they had lost faith in the school management over admission to the 23 orphan children who lived in the same orphanage with 13 HIV positive children, are learnt to have formally sought the withdrawal of their children from their church run school in Rivona.
Confirming the decision of the 26 parents, Rivona School Manager Fr Lino Florindo told Herald that 19 parents had submitted their applications on Monday, while seven more had submitted their applications on Tuesday.
“These 26 parents have expressed in writing that they wish to withdraw their children from our school,” said Fr Florindo.
When asked if the school had issued the leaving certificates, Fr Florindo replied: “The school office is processing the school leaving certificates.”
Admitting that he could not confirm how many parents had applied for the withdrawal of their students, Sanguem Assistant Director of Education (ADEI) Dinkar Rane said some parents had applied for leaving certificates of their children when he last visited the school on July 11.
Asked whether the students, who had taken their leaving certificates would be granted admissions elsewhere, Rane said: “It depends on individual cases and the reason cited in the leaving certificates.”
“If the reason for leaving the school at this juncture stands
justified, then some other schools may admit these students. But it again depends on the school management where these students seek admissions afresh. Moreover, the school admitting these students at this time of the academic year also needs to seek department’s permission to grant late admissions,” said Rane.
Fr Florindo, however, insisted that the school management would still want to make efforts to dissuade the parents from leaving the school, before the leaving certificates are issued to them.
“We will try our level best to speak to these 26 parents and persuade them not to withdraw their children from our school, especially since their children may not get admissions to other schools during this time of the academic year,” said Fr Florindo.
“They (parents) may now be forced to seek approval from the Education department to get their children admitted to other schools.”
Asked if the school would be willing to readmit the students of these 26 parents, if they were unable to seek admission elsewhere; Fr Florindo said, “We do not want to be vindictive, but we cannot readmit these students once they are out of our school, unless we are directed to do so by the Education department.”
A parent representing the interest of the aggrieved parents has claimed that the Rivona school management had handled the incident in the most unprofessional manner.
“The parents strongly feel that the Rivona school has let us down by not taking the parents into confidence in this sensitive issue. Our children are now traumatised over this entire episode and don’t want to go to the Rivona school,” said an aggrieved parent Cherryl Lopes, while speaking to Herald.
“Some parents, who have lost their faith in the school management, have decided to withdraw their children from the school and seek admission elsewhere.”
“It is going to be tough for us, as other schools are now denying admission to our children. If they get admission in other schools, it will benefit our traumatised children. But if they are denied admission in other schools, who will give them justice,” asked Lopes.
Well, parents like Lopes need to answer, who will give innocent orphans justice if they continue to take such anti human stands and put their children’s education in jeopardy.
