7-yr-old HIV positive thrown out of school

Seven-year-old Sarbjit Kaur is playing with her doll oblivious of the fact that she is an HIV positive. She is not aware what future has in store for her, especially after the local government high school struck off her name from the rolls. The school-leaving certificate gives no reasons for striking off her name.

She had lost her parents to AIDS three years back and is now being brought up by her aunt Kaushalya, who also has her three children to look after. "Her schoolteacher one day summoned me and inquired if Sarbjit is HIV positive. I nodded in affirmative. She said as Sarbjit has a cut near her eye that is not healing, so other children might get infected, and she should not be sent to school. What could I do, I stopped sending her to school and they sent home her school-leaving certificate," said Kaushalya. Sarbjit, a class II student, was good in studies, says her cousin Kulwinder Kaur, who studies in the same school. "Everyone in the school feared her. They knew that her parents died due to AIDS and she is carrying the deadly virus too. There was a panic when she got a cut on her face," she said, adding that she told her classmates and even teachers that the virus does not spread out by sitting beside or shaking hands, but no one paid heed.

Kaushalya, who has been taking care of the child for the last three years following her parents' death, said she never discriminated Sarbjit from her children. "I have two daughters and a son and they sleep together, play together and eat together. I am not worried. I do not know why the school is overanxious to throw her out," she said.

When asked if she had filed any complaint, she said she was illiterate and did not know whom to complain. "We are helpless," she added.

Sarbjit said, "I am studying at home now. My cousins teach me and I am learning ABC." The school-leaving certificate, dated July 3, 2007 (a copy available with The Indian Express), bears signatures of headmistress Sawinder Kaur.

The principal said the school was aware that the girl child was infected with HIV, but her injury was causing panic. She, however, added that they struck off her name following the request from her guardians. She said they were not happy that she was not coming to the school and wanted to help her, but the child's aunt was not willing to send her to school.

Asked if the guardians had given any written request to take the child away, she said she would have to check the records, but confirmed that Kaushalya made verbal requests.

Meanwhile, District Education Officer (Primary) G.S. Mann was not available for comments and DEO (Secondary) Piara Singh said the school was not under his jurisdiction, so he could not do anything.