Disgusting!!!!

School sends girl home for non-payment of fees

By Anjana Sankar, Senior Reporter
Published: March 24, 2009, 23:09

Dubai: A private school in Dubai did not allow a four-year-old student to attend classes after her unemployed mother failed to pay her school fees.

Shalini Joseph, mother of the KG-1 student told Gulf News she was appalled to get a call from Winchester school authorities on Monday morning asking her to come and take her daughter Sanan back home.

"They called me around 11am and said that I should take her home as she will not be allowed to attend classes until I pay. When I said I do not drive, they informed [me] that Sanan is out of her class and will be sent home [on] the school bus," she said.

Little Sanan returned home and told her mother "an aunty" took her out of the classroom when all her friends were still inside, and she did not have any place to sit. "I felt so bad because she is too small to understand what it means and why they did it. She was upset because she had no place to sit. When she asked me, I did not have any answers for her," said the irate mother.

Shalini explained she was unable to pay the fees because she lost her job and her husband's salary is hardly enough to pay their rent.

"I met the principal two weeks ago and explained my financial plight. I also promised that as soon as I land in my new job in April, I will settle the pending dues, which amounts to Dh2,200," said Shalini.

When contacted, an official from the school said they followed procedures such as sending gentle reminders.

"It was not done on a whim. There was clear correspondence that include SMS and warning letters between the school and the parent making it clear that if at least part of the overdue is not settled before March 22, action will be taken," said the school official.

The mother said she used up her credit card to pay Dh6,000 as the examination fee for her elder child who is studying at the same school, and hence did not have enough to pay Sanan's term fees. She said she borrowed from her friends on Tuesday and paid some of the pending amount so her daughter is back at school.

Dispute

What the law says: The private education bylaw, article (52) states that schools can temporarily suspend a student but only after issuing three warnings to parents. In this case, Shalini insists that she got only one letter from the school and she ignored it because she had already spoken to the principal and requested an exemption.

Source: Gulf News

Absolutely disgusting! What is this world coming to? How could they have the heart to take out a four-year-old child from her class. Imagine, what that girl felt. When she actually realises the reason, she is going to hate her school. Ugh!!!! Pathetic, disgusting people. No compassion at all.