La Miserable!

The whole episode seems unbelievable.Can a teacher ask for a laptop from his pupil to promote him to higher class? Yes it did happen in no less an elite school than La Martiniere for boys at Kolkata.Sanjay Smart, class teacher of 11-yr old Srijan Banerjee allegedly asked his father for a laptop to promote him to class V. Sujan’s father did not oblige Smart and as a result the boy was expelled from school.Sujan’s father is not a man to surrender to such black mail. He dragged the matter to court and high court gave verdict in favour of Sujan. It asked La Mart to take back Sujan to school and promote him to class V.Unfazed school authority contested the HC order at Supreme court. The apex court upheld the HC’s verdict and asked La Mart to lift expulsion order and promote Sujan to higher class. School did implement SC’s order.

The above episode might raise many unsavoury questions in people’s mind. Is it a common practice in many elite schools to bribe teachers for promotion of their wards? If not, why did school authority punish Sujan in stead of the teacher who allegedly asked for bribe from the boy’s father. School authority could have at least initiated an enquiry into this matter. On the other hand authority went to the extent of going to the apex court to defend the errant teacher. Such an instance is bound to send shock wave to the teaching and students’ community as well.