St. Joseph High School (Girls), Umerkhadi teachers apparently tell parents of primary section to send their children for school picnic or lose 15 marks in the final examination, which has put parents in a dilemma.
Looking at the growing number of crimes happening with students in and outside schools, most parents are now skeptical of sending their children even for school picnics. However, St. Joseph High School (Girls), Umerkhadi teachers apparently tell parents of primary section to send their children for school picnic or lose 15 marks in the final examination, which has put parents in a dilemma.
Parents of St. Joseph High School got irked when class teacher's on open day today (Saturday) informed parents of primary section students to send their children for an upcoming picnic compulsorily. The date of school picnic has not yet been decided, but the venue according to the parents is Tikuji-Ni-Wadi, an amusement park and resort near Thane. The water park has pools and water slides. The picnic is only for primary students of grade I, II and III, for which each student will have to pay Rs 850. Parents claim that the teachers have been sending regular reminders by writing in the school calender.
A parent, on condition of anonymity, said, "How can a school make it mandatory for children to attend picnics. This is the first time that the school has made it mandatory. There is no such rule of education department. A class teacher during the open day told parents that students need to come for the picnic or 15 marks will be deducted from their final exam results. We asked the teacher whether this is a new rule of the education department or it's school that has decided to bring in this rule. The teacher claimed it's the school's rule and not the education department's. Most of the parents got agitated at that time."
When contacted, school officials remained unavailable for comments. However, Fr. George Athaide, secretary of Archdiocesan Board of Education (ABE), under whom this school comes, said, "School picnics are to develop social values among children and it should be encouraged. However, if a parent does not want to send their child for a picnic, it should never be enforced. Anyway, children from grade I to VIII are not allowed to be detained in class as per promotion rules of RTE. So parents should not be worried about marks."
Mahesh Palkar, BMC education officer, said, "The school cannot make picnics mandatory for students. There are no such guidelines. Also, students should only be taken for picnics with the consent of parents."
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