KOLKATA: Acting on the order from the school education department commissioner, who had issued a circular asking 26 prominent city schools to ensure that their students avail of either carpools or school buses from April and restricted the use of personal vehicles to “exceptional cases”, several institutes have set the ball rolling for the changeover.
La Martiniere Boys School principal John Rafi has issued a circular requesting parents to stop ferrying students in individual private cars. To transport kids in hired carpools, the school management will help in identifying carpools to assist guardians. Rafi has also written a letter to the school education department regarding the inability of the school to purchase buses or take responsibility of carpools due to infrastructure and funds constraints.
“This is the first time the school has assured to take responsibility for arranging or informing about carpools,” said the father of a Class III student. “If they facilitate such a move, more and more parents will be convinced to shun private cars,” he added. In the notice, the school clearly stated that from April 1, the school will not take any responsibility for individual private cars. According to a senior school official, the move was “inevitable and necessary” after the state order.
“Once we receive the letter from La Martiniere School, we shall forward it to the chief minister’s office,” said a Nabanna source. However, he added that the schools were “bound” to make alternative arrangements to ensure no individual private cars ferry students to and from schools.
Modern High School For Girls is holding talks with the transport department to make arrangements for renting buses. There are five school buses and 2,500 students. “We are finding ways to facilitate the order. The school administrators are discussing the matter with transport officials and we hope to find a solution soon. Also, a circular will be sent to the guardians informing them about the order,” said director Devi Kar. The school will ask for suggestions from parents.
At Don Bosco School, Park Circus, too, a governing body meeting was held on Thursday to find ways to implement the order. “We will not buy buses. However, the school shall facilitate the arrangements. We will hold discussions with the transport department and, if necessary, rent buses to commute students. But first, we shall hold meetings with the parents,” said principal Bikash Mondal.
St James’ School principal TH Ireland said a list of carpools and chartered buses will be put up along with the phone numbers ahead of the next academic session. “The parents will have to coordinate and arrange for carpools. In our school, around 65% of students arrive in carpools. Soon, we shall distribute the government order and inform the parents about the ban on private cars,” Ireland said.
St Xavier’s Collegiate School has not yet received the circular from the school education directorate. “We shall comply with the order and inform parents to stop ferrying kids in private cars. We will facilitate carpools once we receive the circular,” said Father M Thamacin Arulappan, principal of the school.
On schools who are yet not interested in taking the responsibility of transporting students and have left the decision on parents, Subhas Datta, a green crusader and key litigant in NGT on the city's air pollution, said it was a shameless act on the part of the schools not to take the onus of congestion and pollution caused by school-bound private cars. “What are they teaching students — not owning responsibility and the art of passing the buck? If any school refuses to comply with the norms, I will drag that school to court,” he said.
La Martiniere Boys School principal John Rafi has issued a circular requesting parents to stop ferrying students in individual private cars. To transport kids in hired carpools, the school management will help in identifying carpools to assist guardians. Rafi has also written a letter to the school education department regarding the inability of the school to purchase buses or take responsibility of carpools due to infrastructure and funds constraints.
“This is the first time the school has assured to take responsibility for arranging or informing about carpools,” said the father of a Class III student. “If they facilitate such a move, more and more parents will be convinced to shun private cars,” he added. In the notice, the school clearly stated that from April 1, the school will not take any responsibility for individual private cars. According to a senior school official, the move was “inevitable and necessary” after the state order.
“Once we receive the letter from La Martiniere School, we shall forward it to the chief minister’s office,” said a Nabanna source. However, he added that the schools were “bound” to make alternative arrangements to ensure no individual private cars ferry students to and from schools.
Modern High School For Girls is holding talks with the transport department to make arrangements for renting buses. There are five school buses and 2,500 students. “We are finding ways to facilitate the order. The school administrators are discussing the matter with transport officials and we hope to find a solution soon. Also, a circular will be sent to the guardians informing them about the order,” said director Devi Kar. The school will ask for suggestions from parents.
At Don Bosco School, Park Circus, too, a governing body meeting was held on Thursday to find ways to implement the order. “We will not buy buses. However, the school shall facilitate the arrangements. We will hold discussions with the transport department and, if necessary, rent buses to commute students. But first, we shall hold meetings with the parents,” said principal Bikash Mondal.
St James’ School principal TH Ireland said a list of carpools and chartered buses will be put up along with the phone numbers ahead of the next academic session. “The parents will have to coordinate and arrange for carpools. In our school, around 65% of students arrive in carpools. Soon, we shall distribute the government order and inform the parents about the ban on private cars,” Ireland said.
St Xavier’s Collegiate School has not yet received the circular from the school education directorate. “We shall comply with the order and inform parents to stop ferrying kids in private cars. We will facilitate carpools once we receive the circular,” said Father M Thamacin Arulappan, principal of the school.
On schools who are yet not interested in taking the responsibility of transporting students and have left the decision on parents, Subhas Datta, a green crusader and key litigant in NGT on the city's air pollution, said it was a shameless act on the part of the schools not to take the onus of congestion and pollution caused by school-bound private cars. “What are they teaching students — not owning responsibility and the art of passing the buck? If any school refuses to comply with the norms, I will drag that school to court,” he said.
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