Girls gherao principal for 20 hours for pass marks

Over a dozen Class X and Class XII students of a girls' school in Kolkata outskirts who had failed in the school tests gheroaed their principal for nearly 20 hours beginning Monday night demanding that they should be given pass marks and therefore be allowed to appear in the state board examinations.

The 14 students of Rishi Aurobindo Balika Vidyapith in Santoshpur alleged that teachers deliberately failed them.

It was only after West Bengal Higher Education Council intervened and said it will scrutinise answersheets of all the students, the girls ended the gherao on Tuesday afternoon.

"The students let the teachers free after assurance from Education Department that all the results of the failed students will be reviewed shortly," police said.

However, the decision of the education council to re-evaluate answersheets evoked sharp criticism from various educationists and officials of the Higher Education department.

Leader of Opposition Surya Kanta Mishra wondered how Higher Education Council could intervene in school matters. "If it intervenes and allows failed students to sit in the examination, then anarchy will prevail, which is dangerous," he said.

Educationist Sunanda Sanyal said there is no law which will tells that the council can intervene in school matter.

Achintya Paul, secretary, Higher Education Council, defended the decision at first, saying they had to intervene as the situation had created tension. However, by evening the council made a u-turn saying it would not re-evaluate the answersheets. Instead it will direct the school to hold a re-examination for all those students who have failed.

Domino effect

Students of Jagatpur Rukmini Vidyapith in Behala also gheraoed the teachers on Tuesday for an hour after they came to know that around 13 students won't be allowed to appear for the Higher Secondary examination. The students allegedly threatened to kill the teachers if they did not allow them to sit for the board examination. The issue was resolved after the principal of the school assured them that they would look into the matter.

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