Students of Hills schools stranded mid-session

TNN | Aug 24, 2013, KOLKATA: They returned home in trainloads weeks back after trouble started brewing in the Hills. The students of schools in Darjeeling and Kurseong are looking for admission in other institutions now.

Karan Agarwal had been a student of St Paul's School since Class I. He will take ICSE next year. Karan's studies have been seriously hampered after the school closed due to the agitation. "I don't know how I will complete the syllabus. This kind of break mid-session is very damaging," he said.

Although Karan's father Anil is willing to send him back to St Paul's if things calm down, he is afraid that it won't. "If it continues, we will be left with little choice," he said.

Neeraj Ladsaria, father of Davansh, a Class VIII student at the same school, is thinking of admitting him elsewhere. "We were very happy with his education in St Paul's. But in this unpredictable situation, I cannot risk my son's life," Ladsaria said, hoping that things settle down soon. "The situation has changed again after Benoy Tamang's arrest," he added.

But where will these students get admitted mid-season? Clueless parents have contacted most city schools, only to be disappointed. "No school is ready to take them in mid-session," said Ladsaria.

"A lot of money is involved too," said Shasanka Chatterjee, whose daughter Shreyoshi is a student at Dow Hill School in Kurseong. Most schools in Darjeeling and Kurseong charge Rs 2-3 lakh per year for a boarding student. "It's steep for middle-class families. It's not possible for us to get her admitted to another school and pay the fees again," he said.

The present state of affairs has also worried school authorities in the Hills. "We will compensate for the losses by taking extra classes and possibly cutting vacations short. We are left with no other option," said a spokesperson of St Paul's.

The sorry state of affairs has prompted schools in other states to come to the rescue. Ranchi-based Taurian World School has started conducting sessions in Kolkata, especially for students of Darjeeling schools. "We have the best of facilities and faculty in Ranchi. Weather is also comfortable throughout the year. And it is very safe in Ranchi. Of the 18 parents we talked to on Friday, 15 will come back for admission," said Bhavik Anjaria, vice-president of the school.

For students like Rakshit Goenka, who joined a Darjeeling school just a year back, it will be difficult to cope with the new set of friends and environment once again. "We thought of giving him the best of education. But never did we imagine that it will become a nightmare," said his father Rohit.