The State Commission for the Protection of the Rights of the Child has ordered an independent commission to investigate the allegations of a five-year-old child from the ALP School in Chelembra who was denied entry to a school bus due to a fee delay.
Child Rights Commission Member Cicily Joseph directed Assistant Educational Officer (AEO), Parappanangadi to oversee the inquiry after an online hearing on the matter.
The commission initiated the suo motu proceedings following reports that a child from the United Kingdom had interrupted his education after being denied entry to a school bus on the instructions of headmistress Sreeja T.
During the online hearing, Ms. Sreeja denied the allegations and claimed that the child’s mother interrupted his education for other reasons. School officials said they were willing to allow the child to continue his education at the school.
Mrs Joseph condemned the incident and said denying a child entry to a school bus, causing him humiliation and distress, was unacceptable. She said further measures would be based on the report submitted by the AEO-led panel.
The AEO had earlier sent a letter to the school principal seeking disciplinary action against Ms. Sreeja, who is the principal’s wife.
The incident that caused outrage occurred on October 13, when the driver allegedly forbade the child to board the school bus on the instructions of the headmistress. The driver allegedly informed the child that he could not board the bus as his mother had not paid the dues of ₹1,000 for two months.
The child felt humiliated, especially when his neighbor-classmate was allowed to board. A whimpering child was left stranded at a bus stop.
An elderly woman who knew the child took him home and his mother was confused.
The mother paid the fees herself that day and demanded an apology from the principal. But Ms Sreeja refused to apologise, saying she had done nothing wrong.
Published – 30 Oct 2025 20:56 IST
