School which is slowly degrading itself. Review on Bethany High School, Koramangala, Bangalore

Hi

I am one of the most privileged to get an occasion to experience two consecutive admission procedures for my  son into pre-nursery at Bethany High School. I used to hear a lot of good things about the principal, the staff and quality of students – alas, now it’s on a road to degradation. My son is a December last born and for which neither of us as parents nor the baby can be blamed.

Last year when I approached the school for admission, the school management said that they would entertain the admission based on three principles. 1. the student should be staying within 3 km of the school radius ( I stay opp. forum: well within the range).

1. The parents should volunteer for co-curricular activities ( myself and wife both are PG's and our parents are teachers so we promised to render full support in all forms.. please note all forms). 3. The ward should be 3.6 years on June 1st ( I missed the schedule for this clause). The school instead then invited us for a session for facilitating the admission into Sherwood school in Bannergatta Road. The principal Mr. chief made an excellent presentation on the promises of keeping the same state of the art standards ( which I doubt now...) that are prevailing in Bethany High School.

He even offered a discount for spot admission. The next day I thought of investigating the promised school campus(Sherwood School). I was aghast by the sight of the same. It was a barren land and filing of the farmland was just in progress ( this is sometime as of Nov ‘08). Mind it not even the compound wall was erected. Mr. chief had promised the entire school would be running full steam by June 09. I have never seen that day, till Nov. 09.  We decided that we shall wait for the school to get complete and try the admission this year for academic year 2010-2011. More so we shall be fulfilling the missed last time clause of age. During April-May June 09, again I tried several times to meet the admin staff and the principal for admission but they gave all false promises and every time insisted that I should get my son admitted in Sherwood high at Bannergatta road. As a matter of fact, the suggested building was still under construction and they were recommending to throw my son's life into the chaotic world  of heavy construction within the campus. Now that's the real character of the school, push for the money because I think the expansion options are exhausted in the current school and it’s a common sense of economies of scale “ Increase the intake of students without investing on infrastructure” . I must congratulate the school management on thinking on such innovative mechanism of making money by just lending the name. During my repeated visit and meeting with the principal and school management, they kept asserting on the rules that they had to abide for providing quality education etc…etc… well-o-well.. I will also tell about the character of this school chief. My Mother was a school teacher for 37 years and relentlessly churned out quality girl students who have attained great heights in their respective personal and professional lives. It gives Goosebumps when some girl. Lady or officer comes from the crowd and say “ Hello Miss How are you ?”.Now that’s the respect a teacher commands in those days in the school. I today also feel blessed that I had such wonderful teachers and principal who thought the principles of life. Now the principal of Bethany does not even have the courtesy to attend to my mother when she wanted to meet him for the case of my son. She was kept waiting in lobby for hours together and finally sent back with a stern message that Mr. chief does not want to meet her and so please get out of the school ( in polite manner). This year I again went shamelessly to the school for seeking admission for my son thinking that the only criteria that I missed for my son was 3.6 years last year and now he shall be well eligible for entry into pre-nursery. On 23 nov. 09, ie.,  yesterday I went to school (taking excuse from office of late attendance). After collecting a blank paper where I had to request for application and token, I stood in the line. When I reached the counter, I gave my application in which I had mentioned the attempts made last time and how futile that result was. After seeing the application letter,  the counter person said that my son was not eligible for admission because this year they have reduced the eligibility by 6 months. So now my son is over-age.. Did you hear that ... ?. The school changes the policy just because it feels so. No rules no ethics… now I can guess the fate of the application that have been submitted in the school for this year admission. They all shall be called for a meeting by Mr. Chief and again the same presentation of Sherwood high shall be shown and again a set of false promises will be made and some parents shall become fool again. That’s my story on Bethany., I leave it to the readers to decide whether the school is ethical or practice of rules are ethical. “ Jaise Raja Waisa Praja “. The leader of school shows a character of committing false promises again and again, disrespect to the teachers fraternity, bends rules as per convenience and  commits it again and again. It is said that school builds society and character in individual, I am so sorry to feel that this is the society Bethany is trying to build. A society that is opportunistic and make one and only one motto “ Make More Money” “ no Value for Life “. I am afraid how many of us will note this fact and then take a call on how should we treat this kind of thinking…

regards

vinod