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Reshma Seth's mother (left) is scared to send her daughter to school |
Reshma is accused of not paying her tuition fees and has faced humiliation from her teachers for the same. "My teachers harass me by demanding tuition fees in front of my classmates. I feel very hurt and ashamed," she said.
When her mother went to meet the authorities in school, she was beaten. "I saw my principal, Surender Kaur, and her son beat my mother. During the incident, the other teachers held me to prevent me from helping her. I could not do anything," recalled Reshma.
Her mother is now scared to send her daughter back to school. "I am myself scared to go back to the school and collect Reshma's leaving certificate. I will wait till my husband returns from London next week," explained Reshma's mother.
Her parents want her to be a hairstylist, but at present, are concerned about her immediate future. Schools have reopened and their priority is getting her admitted to a new school. Reshma's mother says she will ensure her daughter does not lose an academic year.
Dr Rahul Ghadge, consultant physician at Kemps Corner, said such incidents are likely to have a telling impact on the young girl. "Initially, in such cases, the child is usually in shock or denial followed by possibilities of low self-esteem, depression, school phobia or an aversion to school. The child may become a loner. There are possibilities of the child turning rebellious, vengeful and abusive. She may need psychotherapy to vent her emotions," he said.
