Neyaz Elahi
Srinagar, Mar 15, KNT: Accusing Tyndale Biscoe & Mallinson School of flouting the norms of New Education Policy (NEP), scores of parents Wednesday staged a protest against these schools alleging that school authorities are hell-bent to waste one precious year of little kids. They demanded that students of Lower Primary Division i:e, KG students in these schools should be promoted to Class 1st.
The protesting parents said that they welcome the implementation of NEP which will be adopted in a phased manner from April next month with the commencement of the new academic session, however, they said that Tyndale Biscoe and Mallinson School are killing the spirit of this new education policy and not following the orders from Directorate of School Education.
“All other schools have promoted KG students to Class 1st following the norms of NEP, but Tyndale Biscoe & Mallinson School are dictating their own terms,” they said and appealed to Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, and Director Education to take note of this grave issue as it has been giving sleepless nights to the parents.
“After our several meetings with the Directorate of School Education Kashmir it was resolved that the adoption of NEP-2020 is prospective and none of the previous batches would be affected and accordingly the students shall be promoted to the next higher as per the old academic structure of the school. A few days back we were called by the Tyndale Biscoe & Mallinson School authorities to give consent for such a promotion. Ironically, on March 10 a notification was circulated among the official telegram group about age-appropriated promotion affecting previous batches despite which is not only emotional agony to innocent students but disobedience cum indiscipline to the meetings.”
The protesting parents as per the news agency Kashmir News Trust said that a direction was passed from the Directorate of Education Kashmir on 11 March this month clearly directing the Tyndale Biscoe & Mallinson School for only prospective implementation but the school exhibited their arrogance by floating another notification on March 14.
“Tyndale Biscoe & Mallinson School is not complying with any of the directions from DSEK. Age-appropriated promotion of previous (non-NEP) batches led to their retention in the same class for another year (after re-captioning this class as UKG); means students have to be in the same class for over 2 years implying that they are badly affecting earlier batches, unlike any other school in Jammu and Kashmir. This is sheer arrogance and violation of the New Education Policy,” the protesting parents said.
“Our wards, after completion of the curriculum meant for their standard, are curiously waiting to go into the class 1st by ending March 2023 and their retention in previous class for another year will have long-lasting psychological impressions on their mind resulting not only in loss of self-confidence but they may also develop a sense of inferiority compared to their fellow batch mates in any other schools of the region,” they said adding that this step of Tyndale Biscoe & Mallinson School is completely contradictory to the spirit of the NEP-2020.
The protesters who raised slogans against the school, seeking justice said that none of top schools including Burn Hall, Presentation Convent, DPS, etc in the Jammu and Kashmir and Kashmir Valley in particular are disturbing any of the previous batches in the lower primary departments though they are also planning to adopt NEP-2020.
The protesting parents requested the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir to take cognizance of the matter and direct the school authorities to promote their wards KG to Class 1st and Nursery to KG to ensure that the self-confidence and mental state of the students shall be strengthened. [KNT]
