The students said their parents were asked to meet the principal over the issue.
New Delhi:
Following criticism for suspending more than 100 students for not attending morning assembly and barring them from appearing for exams, Stephens College on Tuesday withdrew the decision saying the email sent to students was “misworded” and ” There was “miscommunication”.
In an email addressed to students and their parents, Stephens College Principal John Varghese clarified that there will be no suspension with respect to attendance in the morning assembly.
“An email was sent from my office on Saturday, February 17, 2024. This was a miscommunication, incorrectly worded and for this I sincerely apologize. I was not even copied on that email, a The practice which is generally followed when I give instructions to my office, on my behalf, is to communicate in writing. So let me set the matter straight through this email,” the email sent by Varghese said. Has gone.
The principal also said that the morning assembly held in the college is an old tradition and is not conducted as a religious practice, while he pointed out that short portions of several religious and philosophical texts are read during the assembly.
“Every college has its own unique customs and traditions, and St. Stephen’s College is no different. The morning assembly at the college is a long-standing college tradition. It is not a religious event, although short portions of several religious and philosophical texts are included in it. Read included,” he wrote in an email.
He said students, especially first-years, are expected to attend morning assembly to “understand the history, traditions and practices” of the college.
Varghese also said that the email was addressed to the parents of the students to keep them informed about the performance of their children.
They wrote, “Parents are important stakeholders in the broad-based, holistic education provided by the College, and it is in this spirit that the incorrectly worded email to parents was addressed. That email contained unintentional and serious errors.” Gone. I apologize for this.” He also said that the college will continue to engage with the parents of the students for their welfare.
Varghese further asked parents who were not able to meet him to fix an appointment at his office to discuss the matter with him.
“Students are encouraged to attend the morning assembly and parents will continue to be informed about the performance of their children,” he said.
Earlier in the day, teachers and students raised concerns over the suspension of first-year students and an email barring them from appearing in second semester examinations for not attending the morning assembly in the college.
The students said their parents were asked to meet the principal over the issue, otherwise the students were barred from appearing for the exam.
The students had said that scheduling an appointment was not possible for many, “since their parents do not reside in Delhi-NCR and hence, it was not possible for them to travel to Delhi at short notice due to prior commitments.” Scheduling issues, and financial issues”.
The email sent to parents and guardians of students read, “Regrettably, due to non-compliance of the request, I inform you that as a result of the suspension, students will not be allowed to appear for the upcoming examination “
The students claimed that their attempts to fix appointments without their guardians were also rejected.
The move was criticized from all quarters, including college teachers, who said that “forcing” students to participate in religious activity was against university rules.
The teacher had also demanded disciplinary action against the person concerned who sent the email.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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