Death of a class IX student Ashirnanda; Child Rights Commission registers case suo motu

PALAKKAD: The Child Rights Commission has registered a case in the death of Ashirnanda, a ninth-grade student of St. Dominic's English Medium School in Sreekrishnapuram. The District Child Protection Committee has also sought a detailed report from the school authorities.

Commission Chairman KV Manoj Kumar visited Ashirnanda's house in Thachanattukara Chollode and the school where she studied. The commission also directed that a child-friendly environment should be created in the school and that the school should continue to function in a way that does not cause any harm to the children. The commission added that the children should be given necessary classes and counselling when they reach school on Monday. The Child Rights Commission has also sought a report from the police on the incident.

Aashirnanda committed suicide after facing mental harassment for getting one and a half marks less in a class test. There was a strong protest the other day in the incident. There was a clash during the SFI march to St. Dominic's School in Sreekrishnapuram. The police stopped them from trying to enter the school.

Meanwhile, the school management admitted that it had made a lapse in the incident. All five accused were expelled. Children will no longer be transferred to another class based on marks. The vice-principal has been given the responsibility of the principal who was expelled the other day.

Aashirnanda committed suicide last Monday. Later, the family came forward with serious allegations against the teachers. As the protest intensified, the accused school principal OP Joyce and teachers Stella Babu and AT Thankam were expelled. In addition to them, the management was ready to expel teachers Ambili and Archana.

When the parents demanded that all the teachers named in the suicide note be fired, the management and PTA initially decided to suspend two of the teachers. Student organization leaders and parents said that this would not be accepted. The school management then decided to fire all five.