Wadala School Levies Rs 1,000 Daily Absence Fine Post-Ganeshotsav, Draws Complaint

A private school in Wadala has triggered controversy after penalising students Rs 1,000 for each day of absence following a five-day Ganeshotsav holiday. The matter was brought to light by Yuva Sena, the student wing of Shiv Sena (UBT), which has lodged an official complaint with local education authorities.

The penalties were levied on pupils who failed to report back immediately after the festive break concluded. Many families had travelled outside the city to their native villages in Konkan to celebrate the Ganesh festival and returned one or two days behind schedule, only to be confronted with the steep financial charges.

Expressing the frustration of affected families, a parent stated that many households had travelled to their villages in Konkan for the festivities and their children returned a day or two late to school, for which such a heavy fine was being imposed.

Yuva Sena leaders strongly objected to the practice, stating that schools have no legal authority to penalise absenteeism with monetary fines. Pradeep Sawant of Yuva Sena noted that there is no provision in any law that permits a school to fine students for missing classes.

Following objections from parents, a delegation of Yuva Sena representatives met with education department officials to formally submit a petition. The delegation demanded an immediate halt to the collection of fines and sought relief for the penalised students and their families.

Taking cognisance of the complaint, education department officials have forwarded the issue for an inquiry and necessary follow-up action. Officials refrained from making further comments regarding the complaint, while the school management did not respond to inquiries.