Out of 180 candidates, who appeared for the higher secondary sent up (qualifying) examination from Halisahar High School, 45 of them were termed as unsatisfactory by the school authorities. The headmaster of Halisahar High School, Manotosh Mukherjee strictly told the unsuccessful candidates that they will be held back and not allowed to sit for the ensuing Higher Secondary examination.

The desperate candidates pleaded to the headmaster to allow them to sit for the Higher Secondary examination. During a parent-teacher meeting, the parents told the school authorities that they arranged for private tuition and every other possible assistance for their wards. The parents of these unsuccessful students also added that their wards were addicted to their smartphones.

Advertisement

The students too admitted as much about their long screen hours.

This prompted the headmaster to suggest he can only allow these 45 students to appear for their HS exam if they promise to shun their phones. The students allowed their smartphones to be kept in the safe custody of the school for two months.

The parents hailed the decision of the headmaster and asked their wards to hand over the mobile phones. The students promised that they will work hard to secure good marks in the forthcoming Class XII exam.

The school headmaster said, “It is my attempt to send out a message to the students not to waste their valuable time over mobile phones and ruin their studies.”

One of the ex-students of Halisahar High School, Anindya Kishore Das, a resident of Chinsurah and presently is a central government employee said he welcomes the headmaster’s attempt to correct and discipline the students.

Halisahar High School in North 24 Parganas was established in 1854.