Thursday, March 13, 2008
Re: At St Columba's, another turn of the screw
i think the principal has a point on the "bad" company thing ... though i guess moving to another school might not solve this problem.
1. if this is the stated policy (it was done last year), i guess the argument of it not being known (to students/parents) can not be applied this year?
2. internal exams are very rarely "impossible" to pass, especially with marking done by the same teachers who have taught the subject, since most of the questions come almost directly from the notes / class work. this does not hold true for board exams! yes, passing requires paying attention in class and doing some work at home
3. the other schools principals (at least DPS) who have commented have rather hefty fees. for this payment, they hardly care if the student continues to stay in their school, since they would turn over a handsome profit from this too (correct me if i'm wrong on this).
my 3 cents :-P
1. if this is the stated policy (it was done last year), i guess the argument of it not being known (to students/parents) can not be applied this year?
2. internal exams are very rarely "impossible" to pass, especially with marking done by the same teachers who have taught the subject, since most of the questions come almost directly from the notes / class work. this does not hold true for board exams! yes, passing requires paying attention in class and doing some work at home
3. the other schools principals (at least DPS) who have commented have rather hefty fees. for this payment, they hardly care if the student continues to stay in their school, since they would turn over a handsome profit from this too (correct me if i'm wrong on this).
my 3 cents :-P
On Wed, Mar 12, 2008 at 12:14 PM, Dhruv Kalra wrote:
Quite Shocking !! glad this didn't happen at our time
Dhruv
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Preeti Jha
Posted online: Tuesday, March 11, 2008 at 0025 hrs IST
New Delhi, March 10
Forty-eight students from St Columba's School at Ashok Place — who recently failed in one or more exams in the Class XI finals — have been asked to seek admission elsewhere.
When Anthony Fernando went to collect his report card on Saturday, he was nervous about his results. But he wasn't expecting to be told by the principal that the school no longer wanted him. "I'm feeling very bad, I've been studying here since KG," said Fernando.
Br Pinto, who is the acting principal while Br Lobo, the principal, is in the US on study leave, said, "we are advising parents to readmit failed students in other schools".
Defending the move as "the best thing for such a child," he added: "These students need a new environment to get away from present bad company. Then there's a chance they'll do better in life."
Fernando Senior had pleaded for a second chance for his son. "How will I get him admitted in another school at the last moment?" he asked.
But Br Pinto told him that it was not his responsibility.
The school had apparently employed a similar policy last year, when 47 students of Class XI were asked to leave. "Most got admission in other schools," said Br Pinto.
According to him, Br Lobo had spoken to each class individually, telling students that they must pass the end-of-year exams to be promoted to Class XII. But parents said no such warning was issued.
The students had to pass in at least one of their five subjects and score 33 per cent or more in the rest. Fifteen marks — "grace" — were available for transfer across subjects.
But Joseph Gomez, who failed in one subject, has not received any grace marks, which would have lifted his score of 31.5 per cent.
"I just flunked economics. The principal told me he didn't want me in school anymore. I can't believe they're kicking me out," he said.
Gomez wanted to know why there's no option of taking the exam again. "Even in the boards you are given a re-test," added his father. "The lives of our children depend on these crucial years in Class XI and XII. I know my son has made a mistake. He must be more committed. But schools must support us, they are their kids too."
"This sort of response to failure is risky, children need support," said another parent, Teresa Srinath.
Br Pinto has his reason. "These kids are not interested in learning," he said. "They think Class XI is a breeze. Some marks were in single digits. How much can we do? And how much more space can we keep for them when Class X is graduating?"
ROOM TO BREATHE
"We feel that if a child is failing, then it's a signal that our teaching is bad. Children who don't do well are coached during the holidays."
Shyama Chona
Principal, Delhi Public School, R K Puram
"I don't believe in detaining a child only because we want a good result at the end of Class XII. We should not put a child under so much stress. At Salwan, if a student fails in one exam, he or she is given another test. Failing in more than one subject, a student is asked to retake the year; they are not asked to leave the school."
Vandana Puri
Principal, Salwan Public School, Rajendra Nagar
Education Secretary Rina Ray has not received any complaints regarding the recent incident at St Columba's. She urges parents to get in touch with the Directorate of Education so the matter may be investigated. "This is extremely unusual. We're not in favour of this. It is not at all child-friendly," she said.
(Names of students and parents have been changed to protect their identity)
Comments:
A school encashing on its Brand Name- St.Columba’s.
Recent newspaper reports are a classic example of how Institutions set up with dedication & labour,slowly,over the years,come to rot from within,in the absence of the nourishing zeal and love of its founding-fathers.And then,sets in motion, a merciless milking of its Brand Name,the fooling of innocent people who have placed their faith and trust at its feet.
This year,48 students were detained in Class XI in Science and Commerce streams in St Columba’s,New Delhi. The Acting Principal directed every parent concerned to remove the child from his school and place him in any other school.Be damned as far as He was concerned.To facilitate his bid of getting rid of the “Muck”, he proferred to inscribe for posterity,on every Transfer Certificate, the golden words ” Promotion maybe considered to class XII “.This he offered as a bait (some light at the end of the Dark Tunnel) to hapless parents who readily removed their children in contrast to certain doom (of repeating class XI if they stayed on) !! Apart from playing on the hopes and ambitions of innocent parents,this mighty representative of an honourable Christian Institution chose to (i) misguide other educational institutions by passing on candidates considered “unfit” by his very own institution for being promoted to class XII, (ii) Fooled the parents seeking Transfer Certificates into hoping that some other school “may consider promotion to class XII” of their ward. The other schools promptly rejected this cunningly worded Transfer Certificate outright as having no meaning.Does it behove a reputed Christian Institution such as St Columba’s School to play dirty tricks with the careers of innocent children in this fashion? Their Dirty Tricks Department seems to be in overdrive ! It is a separate issue that subsequently, with the intervention of the concerned authorities in the Delhi Administration, the school had to shamefacedly take back/permit to stay back in class XI,the students who had been directed to leave the school. As per newspaper reports,the Acting Principal had commented that all these boys had fallen into bad company ! With this cheeky comment it is clear that the Acting Principal was fooling nobody but himself. As per his own logic,if these 48-50 ruffians could not be controlled/reformed by his renowned, reputed, well-established, blah-blah institution i.e. St Columba’s, New Delhi, was it justified on his part to let them loose on the streets of Delhi,like a bunch of rabid dogs ? This shows the sly, perverted thinking of the authorities that be in St Columba’s, New Delhi.
Apparently,this flunking of 48 to 50 students in class XI has been going on for the past few years in St Columba’s New Delhi. There is indiscipline, rowdyism, bullying, smoking, imbibing of drugs by students merrily going on.The teachers feign ignorance or totally refuse to tackle these issues. On the teaching front, the teachers are most reluctant to teach, since they are unable to handle or control the rowdy boys. They prefer to shriek hysterically,bluntly refuse to teach but do trot around in short-short skirts & almost backless blouses. The higher authorities of the school turn a blind eye to what is happening and are ready with an impromptu retort ,”If you are having problems,then change the school “!! What supreme conceit !! The sensitive,serious minded boys cower in a corner,in this School of No Justice,trying to avoid getting into the path of the Big Bullies of St Columba’s. What a school !!
Is such a high annual failure rate normal in reputed Delhi schools? Don’t relevant authorities/Departments investigate/look into this fact? Why has no corrective action been taken to prevent this from happening? Why were the Principal,teachers sleeping the whole year through ? This is a slap in the face of the quality of education being imparted by this school and the incompetence of the class teachers in particular.Have the teachers nor school no responsibility nor role to play in the success/failure rate of the students of the school. How can they pretend that only the students are to blame ? Parents are informed, out of the blue,one fine day (No written or verbal warnings issued to them) to take their disgraced failure kids away ! What about the teachers,the Principal and the whole Christian Management (who have conveniently been turning a blind eye to what is happening at St Columba’s, Delhi) of this school who have failed the expectations,trust and hopes of gullible parents having high expectations from this once renowned institutions ? 48 students failed and Principal not shifted? Which teacher/s were thrown out? Will these mediocre teachers with limited teaching skills and more limited child handling skills,continue in this fashion year after year,ruining precious careers?
A question arises.How are these 48 to 50 students annually adjusted within the total pool of seats available in class XI in St Columba’s, New Delhi? That also, with the fresh lot of class X students coming in? Are all of them accounted for, especially while submitting accounts with regard to income earned via fees from class XI students.A doubt arises with all this going on in St Columba’s and particularly in view of shocking reports in the press about diversion of funds by the St Columbas’ school authorities to their own parent Organisation and the subsequent de-recognition of this school last year. Horrifying facts which no one is waking up to. When will the Authorities wake up to these harsh facts and stem the rot that has set in St Columba’s ,New Delhi? A PROPER INVESTIGATION INTO WHAT IS GOING ON IS URGENTLY REQUIRED.
Recent newspaper reports are a classic example of how Institutions set up with dedication & labour,slowly,over the years,come to rot from within,in the absence of the nourishing zeal and love of its founding-fathers.And then,sets in motion, a merciless milking of its Brand Name,the fooling of innocent people who have placed their faith and trust at its feet.
This year,48 students were detained in Class XI in Science and Commerce streams in St Columba’s,New Delhi. The Acting Principal directed every parent concerned to remove the child from his school and place him in any other school.Be damned as far as He was concerned.To facilitate his bid of getting rid of the “Muck”, he proferred to inscribe for posterity,on every Transfer Certificate, the golden words ” Promotion maybe considered to class XII “.This he offered as a bait (some light at the end of the Dark Tunnel) to hapless parents who readily removed their children in contrast to certain doom (of repeating class XI if they stayed on) !! Apart from playing on the hopes and ambitions of innocent parents,this mighty representative of an honourable Christian Institution chose to (i) misguide other educational institutions by passing on candidates considered “unfit” by his very own institution for being promoted to class XII, (ii) Fooled the parents seeking Transfer Certificates into hoping that some other school “may consider promotion to class XII” of their ward. The other schools promptly rejected this cunningly worded Transfer Certificate outright as having no meaning.Does it behove a reputed Christian Institution such as St Columba’s School to play dirty tricks with the careers of innocent children in this fashion? Their Dirty Tricks Department seems to be in overdrive ! It is a separate issue that subsequently, with the intervention of the concerned authorities in the Delhi Administration, the school had to shamefacedly take back/permit to stay back in class XI,the students who had been directed to leave the school. As per newspaper reports,the Acting Principal had commented that all these boys had fallen into bad company ! With this cheeky comment it is clear that the Acting Principal was fooling nobody but himself. As per his own logic,if these 48-50 ruffians could not be controlled/reformed by his renowned, reputed, well-established, blah-blah institution i.e. St Columba’s, New Delhi, was it justified on his part to let them loose on the streets of Delhi,like a bunch of rabid dogs ? This shows the sly, perverted thinking of the authorities that be in St Columba’s, New Delhi.
Apparently,this flunking of 48 to 50 students in class XI has been going on for the past few years in St Columba’s New Delhi. There is indiscipline, rowdyism, bullying, smoking, imbibing of drugs by students merrily going on.The teachers feign ignorance or totally refuse to tackle these issues. On the teaching front, the teachers are most reluctant to teach, since they are unable to handle or control the rowdy boys. They prefer to shriek hysterically,bluntly refuse to teach but do trot around in short-short skirts & almost backless blouses. The higher authorities of the school turn a blind eye to what is happening and are ready with an impromptu retort ,”If you are having problems,then change the school “!! What supreme conceit !! The sensitive,serious minded boys cower in a corner,in this School of No Justice,trying to avoid getting into the path of the Big Bullies of St Columba’s. What a school !!
Is such a high annual failure rate normal in reputed Delhi schools? Don’t relevant authorities/Departments investigate/look into this fact? Why has no corrective action been taken to prevent this from happening? Why were the Principal,teachers sleeping the whole year through ? This is a slap in the face of the quality of education being imparted by this school and the incompetence of the class teachers in particular.Have the teachers nor school no responsibility nor role to play in the success/failure rate of the students of the school. How can they pretend that only the students are to blame ? Parents are informed, out of the blue,one fine day (No written or verbal warnings issued to them) to take their disgraced failure kids away ! What about the teachers,the Principal and the whole Christian Management (who have conveniently been turning a blind eye to what is happening at St Columba’s, Delhi) of this school who have failed the expectations,trust and hopes of gullible parents having high expectations from this once renowned institutions ? 48 students failed and Principal not shifted? Which teacher/s were thrown out? Will these mediocre teachers with limited teaching skills and more limited child handling skills,continue in this fashion year after year,ruining precious careers?
A question arises.How are these 48 to 50 students annually adjusted within the total pool of seats available in class XI in St Columba’s, New Delhi? That also, with the fresh lot of class X students coming in? Are all of them accounted for, especially while submitting accounts with regard to income earned via fees from class XI students.A doubt arises with all this going on in St Columba’s and particularly in view of shocking reports in the press about diversion of funds by the St Columbas’ school authorities to their own parent Organisation and the subsequent de-recognition of this school last year. Horrifying facts which no one is waking up to. When will the Authorities wake up to these harsh facts and stem the rot that has set in St Columba’s ,New Delhi? A PROPER INVESTIGATION INTO WHAT IS GOING ON IS URGENTLY REQUIRED.
# posted by 
: 1:07 AM
: 1:07 AM
@anonymous:
did you even read what i said?
to reiterate:
it can't be unknown to students if its done every year.
and from what i recall of my school days - most bad students used to band together.
perhaps throwing them out only at 11th is a mistake by the principal - he should've thrown them out much earlier.
Post a Comment
did you even read what i said?
to reiterate:
it can't be unknown to students if its done every year.
and from what i recall of my school days - most bad students used to band together.
perhaps throwing them out only at 11th is a mistake by the principal - he should've thrown them out much earlier.
