School attendance determines success of a student, says Madras high court

Chennai: The Madras high court has declined to entertain a petition which sought a direction to the authorities to permit a minor student, who was not allowed to write the class X examination due to lack of attendance, to sit for the examination.

Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana dismissed the petition filed by Valli, mother of the student Sujilan, which sought to permit him to write the X standard examination in Balalok Matriculation school, Tharachand Nagar, Virugambakkam, Chennai.

The judge said the school represented that the student has only 31.3 per cent of attendance, which was also evident even from the Medical Certificate that was produced by the petitioner. The said medical certificate makes it clear that the student was absent from the school and was under treatment from October 12, 2018, to March 11, 2019, as he was suffering from jaundice. The seal of the medical officer found in the said medical certificate shows that the treatment was taken in Kottar, Nagercoil, whereas, the student ordinarily resided in Chennai and studied in the Balalok Matriculation School, the judge added.

The judge said class X public examination commenced on March 14 and the boy was away from attending the school till March 12. Normally, it would be tough for any student, who was taking up the public examination for the first time to sit for the same without even undergoing minimum coaching. Though it was argued by the counsel for the petitioner that the boy was well prepared for the examination, he could not be permitted to sit for the same, as he does not even have 50 per cent of the attendance. The progress report card of the student was produced by the School which categorically reveals that the student had attended the school only for one term till the quarterly examination and not passed in 3 subjects. The counsel for the school stated that the student has to either repeat the course in the next academic year or take up the class X public examination privately, the judge added.

The judge said the lack of attendance of the student negatively affects his academic performance. School attendance was a baseline factor in determining the success of a student. In fact, student’s absence also will jeopardize the success of the school. Hence this court was of the view that any indulgence to the minor student, who lacks attendance, would open up the flood gates, that was the reason why harsh punishment like detaining the student in the same class for unexcused absences. Under these circumstances, this court was not inclined to entertain this petition, the judge added.