Life isn’t easy for children raised by single parents in India. They face social isolation and even academic challenges.
One such incident has come to light from Mumbai, where a woman has alleged that a school denied admission to her son just because she’s a single mother.
The 27-year-old woman, Sujata Mohite, apparently posted a video of her conversation with the principal of the school on social media.
@narendramodi @DrRPNishank @Dev_Fadnavis @TawdeVinod This video is posted by a single mother sujata mohite on Tiktok in which she went for admission for her son in St.Lawrence HighSchool,Vashi.The lady official of the school denied admission just because she is a single parent. pic.twitter.com/BGgPV3mpBf
— KUNAL PATIL (@KUNALPA25129276) June 13, 2019
Talking to India Today, she reiterated the entire incident.
“A month ago, my son and I went for an interview for his admission. They told us that we both passed the interview and then asked me about the child’s father? I told them that I am divorced and I am capable to look after my child. They later tell me that admissions are full.”
Later she tried to inquire about the reality and asked one of her friends to pose as a couple and contact the school for admissions.
“They were told that admissions are open and there is a vacancy. On Thursday, I went to the school along with my friends, where principal Sairy Kanade told me to my face that since I was a single parent, they couldn’t admit my son.”
Twitter was upset with this kind of behaviour by the school.
What a shame, I am been raised by single parent by my mother Thank god I never had to go through this at such extreme where admission is denied on the basis of Single Parent #notagoodschool #schoolneedgoodprincipal https://t.co/5YCrChih09
— abhishek (@filterkappi) June 15, 2019
If this is a fact then nothing can be more shameful for the society we’re living in. No school admission for having single parent?
— Abhijeet Patil -|- serendipity always (@Abhi972) June 14, 2019
DISGUSTING!
https://t.co/bJHmHm0gJQ
@HRDMinistry hello respected ministers pls have a check on Vashi based school st Lawrence where a single mother is denied admission because she is a single parent she is able to pay fees … but because husband is not there admission is denied
— Sonali (@Sonali25310249) June 15, 2019
My blood boils just watching her arrogance!
— Nina Arora (@nina11_arora) June 15, 2019
What if a ‘single parent’ was abandoned by philandering hubby-for no fault of hers?
Or she may be a widow…
And c’mon, even if she herself decided to divorce her husband, how dare admission be denied to an innocent kid?@Dev_Fadnavis
What the hell!!! Why a child of single parent is being denied admission?? In which century is she living?? ‘Single parents ka bahut problem hota hai’ 🙄Is she asked to be the other parent? Do they have any such policy?? Shame on you St Lawrence https://t.co/jguA8BvUD7
— anu shukla, (@ashukla30) June 15, 2019
This is unfortunate & unacceptable !
— Piyush Singh (@PiyushSinghk) June 15, 2019
Principal of St Lawrence high school in Vashi Navi Mumbai is denying to take admission for single parent students.
Look at her arrogance, Can single parent students be denied for schooling. How Sick ??@HRDMinistry @smritiirani@ShefVaidya pic.twitter.com/tnIXv995og
While the principal was unreachable, the school authorities have issued a statement in this regard.
“As an educational institution, we do not discriminate in admitting students under any criteria nor do we have any such policy for parents. In the given case, as the video has just come to our attention, we are investigating the issue and will take appropriate action.”
Latest reports suggest that Minister of Women and Child Development Smriti Irani has raised the matter with the HRD ministry.
