HIV-affected teenager driven out of school hostel in Odisha

Kendrapara : A 13-year-old girl affected by HIV/AIDS has been driven out of the hostel of a Central government-run school in Odisha’s Kendrapara district allegedly on the insistence of other students’ parents, a child rights activist said.

The girl has been allegedly denied the right to stay in the hostel of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalay residential school since last one year, though the school authorities allowed her to continue studies.

“It’s very unfortunate that authorities of a school run by the Ministry of Human Resources Development treated the child unfairly. The confidentiality of her HIV-positive status has been breached. This led to violation of her right to privacy. Stigmatisation of this nature has undermined her dignity,” said child rights campaigner Biraja Prasad Pati.

Pati alleged that the school authorities took this action following opposition from parents of other students.

Navodaya Vidyalay Principal Parvati Pradhan, however, said, “The child has never been discriminated. On health grounds, we had allowed her to study here while staying at home on her guardian’s request. We had done so purely on humanitarian consideration.”

The girl who is good at studies has recently been promoted to standard nine, but because of the humiliation, her guardians have decided to seek transfer and admit her in the village school, she said.

She has stopped going to school after being denied hostel stay, Pati said, adding she goes to school only to write the examination twice a year, The Hindu reporte.

“Our village is at least 45 km from the school. We used to take her to school occasionally. But as the strenuous journey took a toll on her health, we later stopped it,” her family members said. “We have decided to enrol her in a village school in 9th standard.”

The girl lost her parents to AIDS long back and is presently being taken care of by her paternal uncle. Her younger brother is also an HIV/AIDS carrier.

“Denying education to children with HIV/AIDS is an offence as per Supreme Court order,” Pati said.

“I have petitioned the district collector and has sought action against the school authorities,” Pati said.

Kendrapara Additional District Magistrate, Dhananjay Swain, said, “We have received a petition, which alleged discrimination against the child living with HIV/AIDS. The administration is inuring into it. If the charge is proved, action would be taken against the school authorities.”