Staff Reporter
KALPETTA
The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights on Wednesday directed the State government to pass legislation to ensure the rights of children who study in private entrance coaching centres in the State.
A division bench of the commission comprising K.Nazeer and B.Babitha issued the directive to the Secretary of the Local Self-Government Department and the Panchayat Director to adopt steps to either incorporate legislation by expanding the Kerala Panchayat Raj –Nagarapalika Acts or make rules to protect the rights of students and prevent the breach of child rights who are studying in private entrance coaching centres in the State.
Special rules should be made to cancel the licences of the private institutions that breach the norms. Such rules are the need of the hour to give opportunities to the students to study in a child-friendly atmosphere and to address the complaints related to prevention of child rights, the panel said.
The directive was issued in the wake of separate grievances submitted by a student here and district child rights protection officer, Wayanad.
The girl had got admission to an entrance coaching centre in Kozhikode and paid a tuition fee of ₹75,000. But the student could not complete the course owing to health-related issues and requested the authorities to repay a small part of the fee. When the authorities refused the request, the girl submitted the grievance to the commission.
However, the institution repaid a substantial amount from the fee after the intervention of the commission.
The directive was issued not to repeat such breach of child rights in future in private coaching centres.
