Ulfat Bashir
It has come to the fore that in Srinagar’s Syed Meerak Shah Memorial High School, a tenth grader was not allowed to sit in the exam because his parents could not pay the school fee due to poor financial conditions.
In a video posted by the Facebook page ‘Voice of Kashmir,’ Bashir Ahmed Butt, the father of the 10th class student, said that his son was not allowed to sit in exams by the school authorities.
It is pertinent to mention that Bashir Ahmed Butt makes a living off a Shikara, and the tourism sector has seen incessant lows in the past few years due to the abrogation of Article 370 and 35 A and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Bashir Ahmed says, “My son had to appear for the 10th class board exams but the school authorities refused to give him the hall ticket unless I paid them a sum of Rs. 20,000. I managed to borrow Rs. 5,000, somehow, but the school refused to budge.”
“I also told the principal that I would pay the fee in installments but he did not pay heed to my requests and I had to return home disappointed”, he said
“My financial situation is not very well since the past few years because my mother is a cancer patient. I have to buy her medicines,” he added.
Meanwhile, Bashir wrote to the Director Education, Kashmir about the matter. However, it was the Joint Director who was available at the director’s office, who kicked Bashir Ahmad out saying that he should pay the fee and only then the hall ticket will be given.
Bashir says that he knocked many doors, and he was only made to run from pillar to post so his child could sit in the exam. He, then, got in contact with the Parents’ Association, Kashmir. Bashir went to the Joint Director of Education for the second time, but he returned empty handed.