Court intervenes, Anglo Arabic school opens for girls again

Thanks to the timely intervention by the Delhi High Court, the doors of the 350-year-old Anglo Arabic Senior Secondary School at Ajmeri Gate have once again been opened for girl students.

Thanks to the timely intervention by the Delhi High Court, the doors of the 350-year-old Anglo Arabic Senior Secondary School at Ajmeri Gate have once again been opened for girl students.

HT Image

When the school decided to admit girl students for the first time in March this year, it was considered a significant move. But the management soon realised that the time was not yet ripe to start co-education as there was stiff opposition from many of its staff, locals and “conservative” politicians in the area.

Following this the decision was revoked.

Acting on a PIL filed by a girl student who aspired to study in the school, a bench headed by acting chief justice AK Sikri had on May 24 directed the Delhi government standing counsel Najmi Waziri to take up the issue with the Directorate of Education, and help the school management in this regard.

All sides appeared before the court last week and said that the matter had been amicably settled and admission of girl students resumed. “It is an issue of mindset. Why the school was unable to execute the decision could be because of the particular situation prevailing there,” justice Sikri had remarked.

School manager Atyab Siddiqui who had also appeared in the court, had admitted to problems in introducing co-education.