(Representative picture)

BENGALURU: A private school in the city has expelled a kindergarten student allegedly because he has a ponytail.

When Manjunath BC went to pick up his son, Vishnu BM, from St Vincent Pallotti School on Banaswadi Main Road in Babusaab Palya on June 6, principal Fr Paul D'Souza told him that rules did not allow boys to sport ponytails.

D'Souza told Manjunath the LKG boy's hair had to be cut if he was to continue in the school. Manjunath, who runs a provisions store in Babusaab Palya, explained that his son is three-and-a-half years old, and the family's custom was to cut a boy's hair only after he turned five and offer it to the family deity.

“I requested the principal to allow us to keep it, but he was adamant. He said he would not allow Vishnu or us, his parents, to enter the school premises,“ said Manjunath.

“He returned the fees of Rs 43,000 and sent us out of the school. I fell at the principal's feet, pleading with him to let my son continue, but he refused,“ said Manjunath.

Since June 7, Manjunath has gone to more than a dozen schools in the city , but hasn't been able to get a seat as admissions are closed. Manjunath pointed out, “We will have to wait for another year to admit our son in LKG in some other school.“

Denying the allegations, Fr Paul D'Souza said, “I told him not to hold such superstitious beliefs. Following such practices is against our school rules, we can't have different rules for different children.“

`We are waiting for complaint'

“We will check and the department will decide on the course of action in a couple of days. We are waiting for a complaint from the parents,“ said K Anand, primary education director, department of public instruction.

