BENGALURU: Amidst the controversy over allegedly forcing students to study the Bible, Clarence High School Principal Dr Jerry George Mathews said that they only teach moral values from the stories of Bible in their moral science classes.
The parents are well informed about it, and they voluntarily signed the declaration accepting it after orientation, he said, and added that none of the students including those from other communities are forced to carry Bible or attend moral science classes.
The marks obtained in the moral science exam are not included in the merit to promoted students, and those who do well in the subject are only given some prizes, he said. If government asks them to teach values from stories of Bhagavad Gita and Quran too in their moral science classes, they will do it from next academic year, he said, and added that if the government asks them to drop moral science classes, they will consider it too.
The Education Department had issued a show cause notice in this regard to the school. Dr Mathews said that exposure to moral values is an essential component of a student’s holistic development. Moral science has been part of their education since the inception of the school in 1914 in which more than 75 per cent of their students are Christians. The values imparted in their moral science classes have strong foundation for the life of their alumni who are serving in various sectors across the world and even in the Armed Forces. The teaching of moral values has multiplied the admissions to the school, he said.
“We have been, we are and we will be a law-abiding school. And we are in conformity with every law of the land. School is conscious of its responsibilities. Our legal experts will respond to the show cause notice. Even after this row, no parent has contacted us on dropping moral science classes. In fact parents have encouraged us to continue the moral education,” he said.