A HIGH COURT JUDGE has ruled that a student disciplined by ASJA Girls’ College, San Fernando, can continue her legal challenge over the school’s decision to impose severe penalties after she was found with pieces of paper with notes during a geography exam in 2024.

Justice Devindra Rampersad dismissed an application by the school’s acting principal, the college, and its education board to set aside permission for judicial review. He found the case raised questions of fairness, proportionality, and public accountability under the Education Act and the National School Code of Conduct (NSCC).

Following a disciplinary meeting, the school imposed strict penalties and the punishment included awarding zero marks for all remaining exams that term and marking her permanent record with a “bad mark” and the comment “caught cheating in an exam.”