By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 23: A parent has moved the High Court of Meghalaya challenging St. Edmund’s School’s decision to cancel her son’s admission to Class KG for the 2026 session.
The petitioner alleged that the forfeiture of the admission was “unilateral, arbitrary, and illegal.” According to the petition, the child was selected for admission on October 31, 2025, after meeting all eligibility criteria. The parent had completed all formalities, including the submission of necessary forms and payment of admission fees.
The dispute arose following an “Induction Programme” scheduled for December 13, 2025. The school had issued an SMS on December 11 stating that attendance was compulsory. The petitioner stated she inadvertently overlooked the message as she was undergoing medical treatment for allergic conjunctivitis at the time. However, after receiving a phone call from the school on the day of the event, she and her son attended the latter half of the programme.
The petitioner argued that neither the school prospectus nor the admission notification stipulated that attendance at the induction programme was a prerequisite for maintaining admission. Despite submitting medical records and meeting school authorities, the school informed her via email on February 10, 2026, that the admission stood forfeited.
The petition seeks to quash the forfeiture communication and requests a court direction to reinstate the child in Class KG.
During a hearing on Monday, petitioner’s counsel, S Deb requested that the CISCE (a respondent in the case) be removed from the proceedings as no relief was sought from them; the court granted the prayer. Government Advocate S Kh Nongrum, appearing for the state, informed the court that the state government would not contest the matter.
Counsel for the school, R Dutta, has sought time to file a counter-affidavit. The court has listed the matter for further hearing on April 2, 2026.
