In a communication to first-year students, St. Stephen’s College Principal John Varghese said none of them will be suspended for low attendance during the morning assembly, stressing that the earlier email sent to them was a “miscommunication” and “wrongly worded”.
The clarification from the principal came after college students said over 100 of them were suspended and barred from taking second-semester exams.
The students, in an email to the college authorities, had sought clarification on the stated grounds of their suspension. An email sent to the students’ parents and guardians on February 17 informing them that their wards had been suspended and barred from taking the examination was claimed to have been written by the personal secretary to the principal.
In an email to students, Mr. Varghese said, “It was a miscommunication, incorrectly worded and my sincere apologies for that.”
He added, “The mail was not marked to me, a practice which is normally followed when I instruct my office to communicate.”
“Let me, therefore, set right the matter through this email,” the communication read.
Mr. Varghese also said that every college has its unique set of practices and traditions, and St Stephen’s College is no different.
“The morning assembly in college is an old tradition. It is not a religious event even though small portions from several religious and philosophical texts are read out,” he said.
First-year students, he added, are expected to attend the morning assembly to “understand the history, traditions and practices” of the college.
Published - February 21, 2024 01:17 am IST
