Page 22 - EducationWorld May 2022

Education News

dents to Christianity” and imposing ranked National Law School
scripture classes/Bible upon Hindu University of India, Bengalu-
children. Unsurprisingly, the BJP ru, and currently a senior part-
state government, which according ner at Mundkur Law Partners,
to the opposition has orchestrated Bengaluru, advises caution.
this new anti-minorities campaign, “Admittedly under Article 30
issued a show cause notice (April 26) (1) of the Constitution, all mi-
to the school to clarify whether learn- norities have the fundamental
ing the scriptures is mandatory for all right to establish and admin-
students. A day earlier, April 25, the ister education institutions of
National Commission for Protection their choice. But all rights are
of Child Rights wrote to the District subject to reasonable restric-
Commissioner of Bengaluru Urban tions in the larger public inter-
demanding an enquiry into a “com- est. The Clarence school man-
plaint” that Clarence High is impos- Clarence High: imposition charge agement should make it clear
ing Christian religious views on minor in its admission form that it is
children by making it mandatory for jection to this admission condition, a Christian minority school in which
them to study the Bible. it has to be resolved between parents ethics and moral values drawn from
“This is against the Karnataka Ed- and the school management. The gov- the scriptures will be taught. However,
ucation Act, 1983. Under the Act, no ernment has no role in it,” says Noo- Bible and scripture classes should be
school should have religious books in raine Fazal, co-founder and CEO of optional,” says Balagopal.
its academic curriculum. The depart- the top-ranked Inventure Academy, Reshma Ravishanker (Bangalore)
ment has sent a notice to the school Bengaluru and alumna of Clarence
and will wait for its response. The High. WEST BENGAL
DDPI and BEO are already checking The garden city’s academic com-
the facts and we will take action after munity is almost unanimous that sud- Grand delusions
receiving their response,” said B.C. den objection to a 100-year-old prac-
Nagesh, education minister of Kar- tice of this Christian minority school OMEWHAT SURPRISINGLY, THE sixth
nataka, addressing the media. is politically motivated. Since the BJP edition of the Bengal Global
eacting, Clarence High School government assumed office in 2019 by SBusiness Summit (BGBS)
Rprincipal Jerry George engineering mass defections, the state 2022, hosted by the state’s Trin-
Mathew says the school is being has been experiencing a slow spread amool Congress (TMC) government
dragged into “petty politics”. Accord- of religious antagonism and identity on April 20-21, attracted participa-
ing to Mathew, as a Christian minority politics. During the past six months, tion of 4,300 delegates from 42
education institution, the school has the state’s 8 million-strong Muslim countries, including businessmen,
a right to draw from the scriptures minority community has repeatedly politicians and academics from the
to teach “moral values” to students. been persecuted. Muslim girls are US, South Korea, Australia, New
The school’s alumni were also quick prevented from wearing the hijab in Zealand, Vietnam, Netherlands,
to take to social media platforms to classrooms; hindutva groups have Finland, Morocco, Bangladesh and
support the management, and ac- called for a ban on halal meat pre- Bhutan. During the two-day event
cused the BJP government of raking scribed by the Quran, and a ban on staged to attract investment into
up a non-issue and “communalising electronic loudspeakers in mosques West Bengal, 137 memoranda of
it”. Since its establishment in 1914 by used for several decades to call Mus- understanding (MoUs) were signed
British missionaries Alfred and Wal- lims to prayer (azan). The Clarence between the state government, for-
ter Redwood, Bible teaching has been High controversy is widely being in- eign and domestic companies which
mandatory in the school. terpreted as part of a larger agenda could generate a massive investment
“The school is being targeted over of the BJP government to demonise inflow into the economy of the state
a non-issue. Clarence has a tradition the Muslim and Christian minorities and create millions of jobs in West
of drawing from the Bible to inculcate to consolidate the Hindu vote in the Bengal (pop.91 million) which has
moral values. Three generations of my run-up for the assembly elections next 7.6 million registered unemployed
family have studied at Clarence High summer. youth.
and haven’t converted to Christianity. To ensure that minority education The list of high-profile delegates
In my own case, I have been greatly institutions are not sitting ducks for attending the summit included
enriched by the study of the Bible and rabble-rousing politicians, Divya several big names from India Inc,
Hindu scriptures. If there is any ob- Balagopal, an alumna of the top- including billionaire Gautam Adani,

22 EDUCATIONWORLD MAY 2022