Punjab: School strikes off HIV+ student’s name from rolls

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Punjab: School strikes off HIV+ student's name from rolls

Dharmendra Rataul. Monday, July 30, 2007 at 0000 hrs

JALALABAD (TARN TARAN), JULY 29: Seven-year-old Sarbjit Kaur is

oblivious to the fact that she is HIV positive. The class II student

is unaware what the future has in store for her, especially after the

local Government high school struck off her name from the rolls. The

school-leaving certificate, however, cites no reasons.

Sarbjit's parents died of AIDS three years ago. She is being brought

up by her aunt Kaushalya, who has three children of her own.

" One day, her schoolteacher summoned me and inquired if Sarbjit was

HIV positive. I said she was. The teacher then said that Sarbjit has

a wound near her eye, which has shown no signs of healing. The other

children in school might get infected and so Sarbjit should not be

sent to school. What could I do, I stopped sending her and they sent

home her school-leaving certificate, " said Kaushalya.

Sarbjit is a good student, said her cousin Kulwinder Kaur, also in

the same school. " Everyone in the school feared her. They knew that

her parents had died due to AIDS and she is carrying the virus. There

was panic when she got that cut on her face, " she said. She told her

classmates and teachers that the virus does not spread by shaking

hands with or sitting beside the infected person, but no one paid any

heed.

Her aunt said that she never discriminated Sarbjit from her

children. " I have two daughters and a son and they sleep together,

play together and eat together. I am not worried. I do not know why

the school is over anxious to throw her out, " she said.

When asked if she had filed any complaint, she said she was

illiterate and did not know whom to lodge a complaint with. " We are

helpless, " she added.

" I am studying at home now. My cousins teach me and I am learning

ABC, " Sarbjit said. The school-leaving certificate, dated July 3,

2007 (a copy available with The Indian Express), bears signatures of

the school headmistress Sawinder Kaur.

The principal said everyone in school was aware that the girl child

was infected with HIV, but it was her injury that was causing panic.

She, however, added that they struck off her name following a request

from her guardians. The school authorities were not happy that she

was not attending classes and wanted to help her, but the child's

aunt was not willing to send her to school, the principal said. When

asked if Sarbjit's guardians had given any written request to strike

off her name, she said she would have to check the records.

http://www.indianexpress.com/story/207582.html