Teachers opposing the proposal to shift the junior section of St Xavier’s College to the neighbouring boys’ high school campus, said they are concerned about the safety of girl students on the premises of the school. The college wants to shift junior college classrooms to the high school premises from 2016-17.
Hasnain Naqvi, professor, St Xavier’s College, said, “After the junior college is shifted, it will not be safe for girl students. The management needs to make several changes in infrastructure and allot different timings for school and junior college students.”
Father Frazer Mascarenhas, the principal of the college, said the institute’s management will make necessary changes to ensure the safety of girl students. “St Xavier’s College management has enough experience in resolving such issues. As this is proposed for the next academic year, we will take necessary measures while shifting,” Mascarenhas said. “It will be easy to manage the junior college and the school together, as both come under the state board, while the degree college is autonomous.”
Teachers, however, said they were not consulted before the institute took a decision to shift. “Once shifted, junior college students cannot take part in cultural activities and maintain a rapport with senior students, like they did before,” said Naqvi, who suggested that the junior college be shifted to the Xavier’s Institute of Communication (XIC) building.
A member of the management board of the college, on condition of anonymity, said, “The proposal to shift the junior college has been taken on the basis of UGC guidelines, which do not allow junior and degree colleges to be situated on the same campus. The management should have approached junior college teachers to address their concerns.”
{{/usCountry}}A member of the management board of the college, on condition of anonymity, said, “The proposal to shift the junior college has been taken on the basis of UGC guidelines, which do not allow junior and degree colleges to be situated on the same campus. The management should have approached junior college teachers to address their concerns.”
{{/usCountry}}After some junior college teachers approached the state school and higher education minister, Vinod Tawde, to voice their concerns about the shift, the education department said it will probe the matter.
An official from the education department said, “The joint director of higher education has been asked to look into the matter.”
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