Thiruvananthapuram: A private school in Pampady, Kottayam district, was attacked by infuriated student activists after a Grade 9 boy of the school committed suicide, allegedly because he learnt he would be failed to ensure a better pass percentage for the school in next year’s class 10 examinations.

The management of the Crossroads Higher Secondary School in Pampady denied the allegation that the school resorted to deliberately failing students. But enraged student activists attached to the Students Federation of India marched to the school and pelted stones at the building, causing damage to the building and fixtures.

Dozens of protesters stormed into the school compound on Sunday morning, destroyed the nameboard and pelted stones at the building, breaking window panes. The protesters ran riot all around the campus for several minutes, causing widespread damage.

Police forces were ready at the school campus, aware of the protest, and the activists clashed with the police. Police resorted to firing tear gas shells and some of the protesters were injured in the skirmish.

The deceased student was identified as Jinto Eapen, son of Eapen Varghese, a resident of Kottayam district. Jinto’s mother, Bindi is a schoolteacher in the same district. Jinto was his parents’ only son.

Jinto was found dead in his home on Saturday evening. His parents suspect that he took his life as he feared that he would be failed in class 9, so that the school would be assured of a hundred per cent pass in the class 10 examination next year.

The school authorities had informed the boy’s parents about his low marks in school, but not that he was going to be failed, reports said.</s>Members of Students’ Federation of India (SFI) allegedly protested on Sunday, April 1, after Binto, a Class 9 student of Crossroads School, Pampady in Kerala committed suicide. The family of the victim alleged that the school management refused to him to next class, which lead to such an extreme step. He committed suicide on Saturday night. According to the deceased’s father, he was quite sad because the school refused to promote him in class 10 as he scored poor marks in grade 9. After the incident, members of Students’ Federation of India, barged into the campus and allegedly damaged the school property.

In order to control the violent protesters, police had to resort to lathi charge. Meanwhile, Binto’s father said that the school threatened to remove his son, the management rejected the allegations. The school told the media, that the management of the school never threatened the boy over class promotion. However, the administration accepted that according to passing rules, those who score below 40% in class 9 would not be promoted to class 10. According to passing rules, those who score below 40% in class 9 would not be promoted to class 10. The members of the left-affiliated student’s body, SFI has demanded a special investigation into the suicide incident.

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According to a report published by IndiaSpend, in 2015, the number of student suicides stood at 8,934. There are many factors that contribute to the high number of suicide rates among young students, such as- failure in examination, career crisis, family issues, sexual harassment, psychological instability, relationship issues among others. Sikkim is India’s 3rd richest state (after Delhi and Chandigarh), by per capita income, and its literacy rate is India’s seventh highest.

ALSO READ: 8-year-old girl inspired by crime show commits suicide by hanging herself in Uttar Pradesh</s>By: The Associated Press

JOPLIN (AP) — School administrators in southwestern Missouri's Joplin say a high school student died during an accident while volunteering at an elementary school.

The school district said in a statement that the accident happened Thursday morning at Irving Elementary School. The student died at a hospital.

The statement offered no other details, including the Joplin High School student's name or elaboration about the accident.

The school district says the student's family is in its thoughts and prayers.</s>Kottayam (Ker): A group of SFI activists today vandalised a private school near here alleging that a Class 9 male student committed suicide after school authorities reportedly decided not to promote him to the 10th standard.

The SFI activists, who took out a march to the school at Pambady, alleged that Jinto Eapen, who was weak in studies, committed suicide fearing that the school would not promot him to the 10th standard next year, police said.

They also alleged that the teachers had spoken to Jinto’s parents in this regard.

The school authorities however told TV channels that no such decision had been taken.

The 14-year-old student allegedly committed suicide by hanging at his residence yesterday.

Eapen’s parents have not reacted to the incident.

Police said they used force to disperse the SFI activists who allegedly barged into the school building and vandalised it.</s>At least seven people were killed when India's lowest-caste Dalits took to the streets in widespread violent protests yesterday against changes to a law that provides them with special protection.

There were reports of clashes with police, blocked trains and roads, and vandalised property in states including Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Bihar.

Television footage showed images of police beating protesters and people setting fire to police posts and vehicles.

In central Madhya Pradesh state, four protesters died in clashes with police and a curfew was imposed in some parts of the state. Some states like Punjab halted Internet services to prevent protests from spreading.

The Supreme Court ruled on March 20 that the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act - intended to protect Dalits and other marginalised groups - was being misused in many cases. It changed some stringent provisions, including barring the immediate arrest of individuals accused of discrimination.

The court decided that police should initiate arrests only after a preliminary investigation, and that approval is required from a higher authority in order to arrest government officials.

But Dalit organisations have argued that stripping away these provisions will put members of the caste at risk of greater discrimination. They gave the call for the protests, which were also supported by many political parties and Congress.

Roads in the capital Delhi were choked with traffic as protesters turned out in large numbers, even as the Indian government, in an emergency action, asked the Supreme Court to review its order and reinstate the provision for automatic arrest, among others.

Federal Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said: "I want to say humbly that we don't agree with the Supreme Court's reasoning behind the order."

Formerly known as untouchables, the Dalits make up 17 per cent of the population and face social stigma and poverty. In many villages, they are often forced to live in one end of the village and are shunned by other caste groups. They often cannot draw water directly from the common well and have separate glasses kept for them at tea shops.

But six decades of affirmative action by the government, including reserved places in higher education institutes and government jobs, have created a small but growing group of Dalits who have joined India's growing middle class. Many are first-generation doctors, lawyers, bureaucrats, entrepreneurs and politicians - like former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati.

While Dalit activists criticised the outbreak of violence, they said that the community needs protection.

"It should not be diluted. If people are misusing the Act, punish them," said Ms Nirjhari Sinha, convenor of the Jan Sangharsh Manch, a civil rights organisation that supported the protests.

"Everywhere, there is discrimination. Even if Dalits are working in offices, they don't get invited for a cup of tea. There is no intermingling, and marriage (with a Dalit) is a far thing. There is unemployment and now some are turning to violence.''

The protests also come at a time when right-wing cow vigilante groups have become increasingly active, ever since the Bharatiya Janata Party - which is rooted in Hindu nationalism - came to federal power. The cow vigilante groups have targeted members of the Dalit community involved in the leather business.

Dalit writer and activist Chandra Bhan Prasad said the growth of the Dalit middle class has led to greater caste tension and, hence, a greater need for keeping the law intact.

"Today, more and more Dalits are becoming freer (because of) industrial expansion and urbanisation, hence attracting more attacks from caste supremacists,'' he said. "This Act needs more teeth as Dalits are rising every moment, and the 'casteist' Hindu society is feeling unsettled.''</s>OLATHE, Kan. — Police are were called to Olathe Northwest High School after a student brought an unloaded gun to school on Monday.

Principal Chris Zuck said in a statement that administrators were informed by a parent that the student may have brought the weapon to school. The resource officer and school officials met with the student and found the weapon. The student did not have any ammunition, Zuck said.

School administrators contacted parents to inform them of the incident:

I wanted to let you know of a situation that occurred this morning. We were informed by a parent that their student may have brought an unloaded weapon to school this morning. The school resource officer and school officials immediately met with the student upon notification and the weapon was recovered. It is important to know that the weapon was not loaded and there was no ammunition on property. We are working closely with the Olathe Police Department regarding this incident and believe that at no time were students or staff in any danger. Student and staff safety is our first priority and we are appreciative of careful watch and communication by our parents and community. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate in contacting me.</s>COLUMBIA - A student at Battle High School was taken into police custody on Monday after administrators reported finding drugs and a gun in the student's backpack.

The student was found in possession of marijuana, Battle High School Principal Kim Presko said in a letter sent to all parents and guardians of Battle students. Administrators found the gun while searching the student's belongings. The gun had no ammunition, and the school administration is not aware of the student making any threats.

Presko said the school is working with the district and law enforcement to determine the appropriate consequences for the student and ensure the safety of the school environment.

Columbia Public Schools Community Relations Director Michelle Baumstark said in an email that no further information can be released because the situation involves a juvenile.</s>It is time for the school year again and questions like this come up. Please read on and be guided by useful information, but remember that circumstances may vary in your school and the advice here may not always be squarely applicable.

Here is the case:

“X,” a Grade 12 SHS graduating student in a private school committed a serious offense. She attacked schoolmate “Y” inside the classroom during school hours. Her actuations before and after the incident indicated discernment and premeditation. She is 18 years old. Both X and Y were suspended after exhaustive due process by the school.

Here comes the problem. X is running for honors at the end of the school year. However, because of her serious offense, she was delisted from the honor roll, as the student handbook of the school clearly provides. She will graduate all right, and her high grades would remain, but she won’t be given the distinction normally accorded to those in the honors’ list at the graduation ceremony.

The guardian of X was informed about this. The guardian did not accept the decision of the school. During the series of dialogues, she threatened school authorities, teachers and administrators, insulted and slandered them. She continued this attack on Facebook.

The patience of the teachers and administrators is now overstretched but they keep their composure.

 X and her guardian went to the Department of Education to complain. Not only that, they also went to Mr. Tulfo and the complaint is now sensationalized, broadcast on national television.

So the school administrators and teachers also came to me. They fear for their safety because of the threats made by the guardian and the latter’s friends. They also cannot take the insults anymore. The teachers are forced to endure persistent early-morning calls and sometimes, late in the evening, pressuring them to reconsider. Their anxiety has reached seriously high levels.

The DepEd Division sent an invitation letter to the school authorities to appear before it to explain the matter and bring records of the disciplinary case.

Sought for legal advice, here’s my take:

 No, I will not allow the school administrators and teachers to appear before the DepEd, with all due respect.

The teachers have had enough already. They don’t deserve any further insults and threats from the guardian.

They’re human beings, too. They are teachers, for goodness sake! They should be treated with respect and dignity as they’re simply doing their jobs.

Now legally speaking, the relationship between the student and the private school is essentially contractual. And the contract documents comprise the student handbooks, manuals, and other school policies. As long as the policies are reasonable, fair and published, it is legally binding on the school and its students. Student X ought to know her student handbook. As a graduating student running for honors, she should have been more circumspect in her actions. But when she chose to attack her schoolmate for a personal grudge, making an effort to go several floors down from her classroom, she clearly knew what she was doing. She ought to know that she would suffer the consequences, one of which is she would be delisted from the honor rolls of her school.

One may ask, can the DepEd mediate and request the teachers to appear? Yes. But the request may be respectfully declined for justifiable reasons, as in case of threats and intimidation on the teachers and administrators by the guardian and unknown persons.

Can the DepEd compel the private school to submit copies of the disciplinary case files? It can request, but not compel. Only courts can issue a subpoena ducestecum. The school should exercise wise discretion and consider the privacy of other students involved who are also on the records. And in anticipation of a court action against the school, it should be cautious in making statements and giving out files, which may be unfairly and incorrectly interpreted.

Can the DepEd nullify the student handbook and declare it illegal? No, only the courts can do that after trial.

Can the DepEd set aside the decision of the private school and order the inclusion of the student in the honor roll? No. The DepEd cannot substitute its own decision over the academic discretion of the duly constituted authorities of the private school.

Jurisprudence on this subject provides that schools have a dual function. One is to provide students with education, and the other is to help them grow into effective, worthy citizens of the community. Student discipline is one of the means to carry out the second function.

The private school should not and cannot give in to the external pressures to bestow honors on a student who has committed a serious offense. While the school empathizes with the guardian and the family, it also considers the adverse impact on the entire academic community if it reverses its own decision and violates its own policy. It will open the floodgates of student violations, and the school without integrity eventually would fail as an educational institution in instilling discipline among its students.

As they say- in school, what you have become is as important as what you have learned.

Indeed, it takes a village to educate a child. And the village should be able to maintain an atmosphere where mutual respect is promoted and peace and harmony resides. It is always good to be informed and reminded of our rights and responsibilities as parents, guardians and educators to be an effective education community, or village, for our students.

As a side note, lest we forget, teachers, professors and persons charged with the supervision of public or private schools, colleges and universities, in the actual performance of their professional duties or on the occasion of such performance are by law deemed as persons in authority. And any person who shall attack, employ force, or seriously intimidate or resist any person in authority or any of his agents, while engaged in the performance of official duties, or on occasion of such performance shall be made liable for the crime of Direct Assault under Article 148 of the Revised Penal Code.

Right to free legal service of school personnel

Also, it is worth noting that the Education Act of 1982 gives all school personnel, the “right to be provided with free legal service by the appropriate government office in the case of public school personnel, and through the school authorities concerned in the case of private school personnel, when charged in an administrative, civil and/or criminal proceedings by parties other than the school or regulatory authorities concerned for actions committed directly in the lawful discharge of professional duties and/or in defense of school policies.”

The author is the corporate secretary and legal counsel of The Manila Times, and the managing partner of Estrada & Aquino Law, Co. He is also the legal counsel of the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA), Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) and the Phil. Association of Private Schools, Colleges, and Universities (PAPSCU), as well as the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges, & Universities (PAASCU).</s>A school staff member was informed about 8:40 a.m. Monday that a student may have brought a firearm into the building. The school is located at 21300 College Blvd. (KCTV5)

An Olathe Northwest High School student was taken into custody Monday after bringing an unloaded gun to school.

A school staff member was informed about 8:40 a.m. Monday that a student may have brought a firearm into the building. The school is located at 21300 College Blvd.

The staff member and the school resource officer immediately contacted the student. The officer took the student into custody.

An unloaded firearm was recovered during this investigation, police said.

The Olathe Police Department is working with the Olathe School District on this incident.

Principal Chris Zuck sent the following letter to parents:



I wanted to let you know of a situation that occurred this morning. We were informed by a parent that their student may have brought an unloaded weapon to school this morning. The school resource officer and school officials immediately met with the student upon notification and the weapon was recovered. It is important to know that the weapon was not loaded and there was no ammunition on property. We are working closely with the Olathe Police Department regarding this incident and believe that at no time were students or staff in any danger. Student and staff safety is our first priority and we are appreciative of careful watch and communication by our parents and community. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate in contacting me.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to call the Olathe Police Department at 913-971-6950 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477.</s>Baku. 17 May. REPORT.AZ/ Baku Higher Oil School (BHOS) has successfully concluded an annual PR campaign at local secondary schools aimed at strengthening the Higher School’s community relations and informing upper-form pupils about the Higher School’s achievements in training highly skilled specialists and opportunities to study at BHOS to become a professional engineer.

Report was informed in the BHOS press service.

Within the campaign, BHOS representatives including Head of Student Affairs department Habiba Sadigli, staff members and students made a series of presentations for management, teachers and pupils of secondary schools. At the meetings, they provided detailed information about the Higher School development, teaching process, academic programs, and conditions created at the BHOS new campus for students and staff members. The participants were also informed about the higher school long-term cooperation with leading universities from around the world and local and transnational companies operating in the oil and gas industry. Within this cooperation, the companies arrange workshops, training and internship for BHOS students and set up modern training centers and laboratories at the new campus.

During the meetings, BHOS representatives presented photo, audio and visual materials telling about the Higher Oil School and distributed BHOS leaflets and other promotional publications. Several BHOS students who graduated from the schools covered by the campaign also participated in the meetings and told about BHOS students’ life, their social, scientific and cultural activities, and youth societies and clubs operating at the Higher School. All meetings were concluded with question and answer sessions.

In the framework of the campaign, a number of study tours and visits of schoolchildren to the Baku Higher Oil School were also arranged. In total, more than three thousands upper-form pupils from more than 50 schools the PR campaign covered more than 50 schools located in Baku, Sumqayit, Xirdalan, Abseron and Bilasuvar districts participated in the PR campaign conducted by the Baku Higher Oil School.
In response to the suicide of a student, protestors attack Crossroads Higher Secondary School in Pampady, India, and clash with police.