Editor,
I wish to draw your attention to the news item appearing in The Shillong Times on November 25, 2015 under the heading,” City based school bars from appearing final exams” and on the following day, “Unidentified man pays school dues, pupils sit for exams.” It is unfortunate that the newspaper has allowed the above two news items to be published without any obtaining the school version on the alleged grievances of fee payment. I would therefore like that a clarification indicating the school version on this issue be published. Mayfair school is one of the well established and reputed schools in Shillong and this is the first time that such allegations have been made to smear the reputation of the school and the name of the Headmistress which has caused emotional and mental distress as the news items are not factually correct. Every school has some basic requirements with regards to timely payment of fees and it is a ‘practice in every school that that unless fees are paid on time either student are not allowed to sit for the examinations or their results are withheld. Mayfair is no different from other schools where the Managing Committee has made this policy. Mayfair does not receive any Govt grant and it would be difficult to provide quality education unless fees are paid on time.
In the instant case, the parents had not paid their fees from July 2015 till date in spite of many reminders. The school allowed the children to continue their education but insisted that the fees be cleared before the examinations. However there was no written request for exemption nor did the parent plead for time but ignored our notice for clearing the fees. The school from time to time has given exemptions of examination fees to genuine cases of poor students as and when we receive any such request, hence to depict the school management and Headmistress in such a bad light is biased as the school’s version of the matter was not taken. The report in your news item that the students who could not pay the fees were pulled out from the assembly and ordered to stand outside the gate is absolutely false and intended to smear the reputation of the school and the good name of the Headmistress. It is made clear that no such action attributed to the school had taken place and the report is an absolute lie and defamatory. It is unfortunate that no verification was sought from the undersigned on the matter before publishing the news item. The report appears to be intended to gain sympathy for non payment of fees by the parent and to generate strong feelings against me and the school management.
Yours etc.,
Mrs. M.Syngai
Headmistress
Mayfair School Shillong
& Mrs. F.D. Syiem
President (Managing Committee)
Editor replies: This incident was brought to the notice of the Meghalaya Child Rights Protection Council. Our story is based on the Council’s version. Considering that the students had just lost one parent, it was perhaps the duty of the school to visit their home and find out the predicament of the family and assist them rather than wait to get a written representation from them. The news report led to the payment of the students’ school fees by a Good Samaritan. That should rest the case. Preventing students from writing their examinations pending payment of fees is unethical to say the least, particularly in an age where the country promises Right to Education to all up to the age of 14 years.
MBOSE credibility at stake
Editor,
The class IX question papers set by MBOSE have leaked again. This is no surprise. The present system or absence of it encourages leakage. Questions are kept in selected deposit centres from where heads of other schools and other deputed persons in turn collect the questions. In following this ‘system’ the board simply believes in the integrity of the heads of institutions and others in storing and shifting the question papers. This is simply absurd. How can the Board expect everyone to be honest? Perhaps, this honesty cannot be expected even from the Board’s employees too. If this faulty system persists, leaks will continue to happen. Rest assured! In the first place why is MBOSE conducting the class IX examination? Why can’t it leave this task to the individual schools to conduct their own examination? The present practice is meaningless. MBOSE only sets the question papers. The corrections and the rest of it are done by the schools. The purported reason given is that many schools complete only two or three lessons of the class IX syllabus. But even now teachers can still manipulate (many are doing) with their correction if they want to. If MBOSE wants to ensure uniformity in class IX, then it should set questions, deposit question papers in police stations/outposts and also do the corrections. But I don’t see that possibility. The process requires hiring teachers from different schools. It is time consuming, not to forget the cost involved. Therefore, it is totally unnecessary for the Board to conduct the Class IX examination. Another unnecessary practice is the double registration of students in the same Board. Students who have registered themselves in Class IX have to repeat the same in class XI. What is the need? No University or Board registers its students twice over. These unnecessary practices, as many say, are for MBOSE to earn substantial extra bucks at the cost of the credibility of the State Board.
Your’s etc.,
Albert Thyrniang Tura,
West Garo Hills