The Gujarat High Court has directed the District Education Officer (DEO) to visit St. Xavier’s School in Gandhinagar and examine what arrangements can be made for a Class 9 student with cerebral palsy who alleged that he was denied admission.
According to the petition, the student studied in a government school until Class 8 and is seeking admission to St. Xavier’s School to continue his education in the Gujarati medium.
The petition states that the school declined admission because the student’s classroom would be on the first floor, posing accessibility challenges. It was submitted before the court that the school building has only one upper floor and the classroom allotted for Class 9 is located there.
The school, however, informed the High Court that the student’s father had not participated in the admission process.
During the hearing, the High Court observed that the issue required a sensitive approach and said government authorities should work with the school to explore solutions such as wheelchair access or other suitable facilities to enable the student to attend classes.
The petitioner also urged the court to direct the government to ensure similar accessibility measures are provided in schools across Gujarat for children with disabilities.
Justice Nikhil Kariel directed the state government to ensure that the District Education Officer or another competent local official visits the school to assess the situation and identify feasible arrangements that would allow the student to continue his education.
Court’s Directions
The state government informed the court that it would coordinate with the school management, the school board and local government authorities to examine the issue and make efforts to find a suitable solution.