My daughter is really the light of my life. She is a happy & caring child who loves to do something all the time and 'goodness gracious' for her life has so much to offer and so much to do, there is just so little time to do it all. Constant Action all the time.
She is in the 4th standard in a good school in Pune but unfortunately due to some some complications which she had at birth she is facing some issues with her academics due to which I might be considering moving her to a smaller school where the teacher-student ratio is high and she can do stuff at her own pace. Unfortunately she is also an epileptic but her episodes are mostly controlled
So in my hunt for another school I reached this 'reputed' school in Wagholi - Pune. I introduced myself to the principal and began to explain the issues that my daughter was having and why I felt moving her out from the present school would be better for her. The conversation then reached a stage where I mentioned she was an epileptic and suddenly like a 'BOLT OF LIGHTNING' out of nowhere, the whole attitude of the Principal and the conversation changed. Without even letting me explain more about her condition, she very officially told me that this school is located at the outskirts of the city where if any emergency arose it would take time to respond, there is no one in her school to handle the child's medication and and this school would not be suitable for my daughter as she is an Epileptic.
Whoa ! I nearly fell off the chair with this sudden turn of events. To me I would consider it as Modern day discrimination!
Yes, I do understand that an epileptic child is an additional responsibility for the school but she is NOT some child with a deadly contagious/life threatening disease or something like that. She is just like other children but with a condition that needs monitoring and educated care. She has been in a Convent school for the last 6 years and never once did I feel this unwarranted attitude from them so this new reaction of this principal was new to me.
What really got me was that the Principal of this school did not even bother to find out whether this child was on medication, were the episodes under control, what were the frequency of the episodes, what is to be done if she gets an attack etc.. nothing. She just heard the word "epilepsy" and without hesitation she was quick to inform me her school is not suitable for my child.
For the very first time in my life I experienced this reaction against 'epileptics'. Till today it was something I just read about, heard about but now it was my turn to unfortunately experience it.
Yes, I am hurt, offended and my daughter is the light of my life but what according to me was shocking was this educated 'illiterate' attitude of a Principal towards 'epilepsy'.
Madam Principal , being 'elite' is not about being rich & famous, being 'elite' about being a good human being filled with compassion and knowledge. I thought that being a Principal of a school, you would know that.
