LUCKNOW: A Class X student of a Lucknow school was suspended on Tuesday because his brother who passed out from the same school this year criticized the institution on Facebook .

Anubhav Dwivedi’s elder brother Anupam accused the New Way Senior Secondary School management of favouring students who are good only in academics and ignoring others who excel in sports and extra-curricular activities. Anupam made allegation while referring to the school’s annual function which was held recently after six years. The post on Anupam’s wall page has got several comments.

School principal Rita Srivastava denied that Anubhav had been suspended because of his brother’s comments. “He misbehaved with us. We have called the parents to discuss the matter on Wednesday,” she said.

Anupam’s status on FB read: “It’s not flabbergasting to know that New Way School only felicitated students who scored above 90% in Class XII. What about other talents? It’s unfair and unjust on part of the school management to only honour students who are good in academics.”

It further mentioned how the school ignores the holistic development of students despite the Comprehensive and Continuous Examination pattern introduced by CBSE in classes IX and X. Anupam also alleged that the school encourages corporal punishment and that teachers abuse and demoralize students who are not good in academics.

Anupam went on and said, “A teacher calls me infamous because I openly say that the institution doesn’t organize any competitions? Or is it because I tell them that if we pay fees then we need to have purified drinking water? Or I dare to criticize a wrongdoing of a teacher in front of the whole school?”

Reacting to his brother’s suspension, Anupam who passed out from the same school this year, told TOI: “This is the punishment for daring to speak up against the anomalies taking place in the school. There are several examples where talented students in different fields — sports, music, dance but not academics — were left behind because the school doesn’t consider these as talent.”

New Way School founder director Arun Wadhawan claimed that Anubhav has used his brother’s Facebook account to post derogatory remarks against the teachers and management. “The truth is all teachers are fed up with this boy as he bunks classes. In case he attends, he hoots and imitates the teachers,” Arun said.

Anupam alleged that the school’s founder director insulted his brother in full public view. “On Tuesday after the school assembly was over, class X students were held back. My brother was then called to the stage where the director admonished him and grabbed his face. My brother was asked not to put any such stuff on social media that would defame the institution, its teachers and management,” Anupam said.

Wadhawan said, “Anubhav is a troublesome student, rude and stubborn. He has been told is that his behaviour on Facebook is “unacceptable” and that he should bring his parents on Wednesday so that the school could rusticate him.”

