TURA, Dec 7: Vinny (name changed) had a dream of putting his children in a good school in Tura. So, when he got the opportunity to move one of his kids out from a private school, sometime last month, he was met with disdain and retribution from the management of the very school where his kids were studying.

“They told me clearly that if I am to take one child out, I would have to take the others out as well. Clearly, the school was not happy with my decision to shift from the school to another,” says this young father who requested not to name him for fear of being targeted further.

He continues to search frantically for admissions for his other kids who have been told to move out as well.

This glaring “illegal” practice has been taking place, particularly in one private school in Tura for many years, but has now spread to other institutions, outside of Tura as well.

In Garobadha, another private school has issued a notice that goes as, “”New Rule- If there are siblings in the school and parents ask for transfer certificate for only one child, they cannot take the TC for only one child. Transfer certificate will be given from school itself for all the siblings.”

One of Garo Hills most renowned school educationists and current headmaster of Learning Sanctuary in Tura, Mr Tyrone D’Brass has termed such a decision by “Un-educational practices being adopted by educational institutions”.

“Where are the values of good education. There is vindictiveness and pettiness going on. Are these the values we are giving to our future generation?” questioned Mr D’Brass.

“The state government, particularly the education department needs to seriously look into this problem because innocent children are being affected. Private schools are not above the law,” cautions the former headmaster of Sherwood School.

Another issue affecting children is the withholding of admit cards to appear the final exams over non-payment of school fees.

Though the general norm is to allow a child to appear the exams and withhold the marksheet until dues are cleared, these days schools, both missionary and others, have come up with a new practice restricting children from appearing the final term if dues are not cleared.

“We were told our child would not be allowed to appear the final exams until and unless we first paid the pending fees. We are daily wagers and our kid is only in the primary level,” reveals a parent whose ward happens to be in a missionary run school in East Garo Hills.

Well known author and mentor Dilip Mukerjea who created Buzan Centre in Singapore, an organization specifically dedicated to the advancement of mental literacy spoke to this scribe from his home town in Shillong on this burning issue of children being literally evicted from schools and not permitted to appear the exams.

“Childhood should never be a living nightmare, for all children are manifestations of Godliness casting sunlight on the human soul. Cruelty towards any child is not evidence of ‘humankind’ but of ‘humancruel’. Child abuse is the ugliest form of sin,” says Dilip Mukherjea.

He added that as humans we have failed when instead of rendering devoted adoration to children we short circuit their lives with divided attention because the essence of being human and humane is to be childlike, illuminated with love, light and laughter.

“The obverse is the perverse actions against the divinity within children,” said Mukerjea.

There is a growing feeling among many parents that the government needs to step in and put an end to this practices which are affecting children career and their fragile mental wellbeing.

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