Additional languages taught with due consent of parents: HM of St. Thomas School clarifies

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, August 4, 2015: Melwyn Braggs, the Headmaster of St Thomas School in Bondanthila has clarified that the school was teaching additional languages of Arabic, German, French  and was also conducting Karate classes since four years with due permission of the parents.  In the wake of the recent raid on the school by Sri Rama Sene activists alleging that Arabic was being forcefully taught to the students, the headmaster clarified  that   except the languages which are part of the school curriculum, the school as not imposed any other language on the students.

Giving further information, the headmaster said of the 69 students in sixth and seventh standards, 40 students were attending classes and among them there were students  from all three major religions. He said the classes were conducted from 9 am to 10 am on Fridays.

Referring to the July 30 raid by Sri Rama Sene activists, the Headmaster alleged that  the activists entered the class without seeking the teacher’s permission and had started complaining  that the school taught Urdu to students and  was also into ’conversion.’

Pointing out that the school was a Catholic institution, he questioned how can conversion to Islam take place here?." He  said three of the 30 to 40  people who had entered the school were its old students. Many students were frightened at the developments and some had even started crying, he said and added that the event had mentally disturbed the students.

Fr Robert Crasta, Correspondent of the school, Edward D’Souza, Antony D’Souza, John Prakash Pinto, Administration Committee Members  and others were present.