Carmel Convent High School, Durgapur

Carmel Convent High School, Durgapur is an English-medium Secondary school for girls, affiliated to CISCE and run by the Sisters of Apostolic Carmel, a Roman Catholic organization. Students of the school typically refer to themselves as Carmelites.

The school is located in Durgapur, West Bengal, India, in the M.A.M.C. locality.

Academics

The school has thirteen years of students studying at a time—Nursery, the Kindergarten levels KG-I and KG-II, and classes 1 to 10. The medium of instruction is English. Despite the school's Roman Catholic values, the academic education is handled in a strictly secular manner. The school maintains a dedicated faculty of all female teachers who are capable of maintaining the academic standards as well as the all-round development of the students.

The school tests its students though terminal evaluations and intermediate tests, with frequencies varied to suit the needs of various classes. Besides regular teaching, the school maintains an internal requirement of a positive evaluation in Value Education, which is compulsorily taught in a secular manner to all students, outside the testing system, and evaluated through project work, class participation, community service and group activity.

Several times, the school has supplied the local toppers of this examination. For this examination, the school requires students to offer the following subjects from among the ICSE subjects:

1. English
2. History, Civics and Geography
3. Second Language—Hindi OR Bengali
4. Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology)
5. Mathematics
6. Computer Applications OR Economics Applications

Students of the school have also performed well in olympiads (by NSO, Silverzone, etc.) and talent search examinations. (e.g. NSTSE). Several students of the school, over the years, have qualified for the National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) scholarships awarded by NCERT.

House System

To encourage healthy internal competition, the students are divided into four Houses—Red, Green, Gold and Violet. The Houses have distinct sports uniforms and compete with one another in internal competitions, notably the march past on Independence Day and Republic Day in which senior contingents from each House take part. Drill displays on these days are also performed in House-wise formations.

Co-curriculars

Carmel encourages the all-round development of every student, and hence Music, Art and Sports are encouraged and provided for. Students are chiefly trained in vocal music, drawing and painting, crafts, general fitness, and sports like basketball, kho-kho and kabaddi. Socially Useful Productive Work (SUPW) and Community Service is completed by the students as per ICSE requirements.

Intra-school competitions are held among various classes, sections and Houses to encourage quality performance in co-curricular activities.

The music curriculum is begun in the lower classes with children's songs and Nursery Rhymes, and gradually moved towards more mature educational songs and Roman Catholic hymns.

School Cabinet

The school encourages student government and elected leadership through the School Cabinet, under the School Pupil Leader (SPL) and the Assistant School Pupil Leader (ASPL), who are elected by a form of popular vote. The SPL and ASPL are consulted by the teachers to select a Cabinet comprising Ministers in fields like Discipline, Activity, Sanitation, Music, Art, Dance, Dramatics, Sports, etc. as well as Captains of the four Houses, all from Class 10. The Ministers and Captains are supported by their respective Assistants from Class 9, selected by the teachers.

Election of the School Pupil Leader

The nominees for SPL are chosen from among deserving students of Class 10, the senior-most class, by the teachers and the Principal. In the initial stages of the nomination process, suggestions from the students of Class 10 are generally welcomed. Following the final nominations, the nominees are expected to make their candidature public through a Campaign Speech at the next General Assembly. At the same time, the candidates are also expected to introduce their election symbols to the electorate, which comprises the teachers and the students of Classes 8, 9 and 10. Following this, a week of campaigning is usually allowed.

At the end of the week, the election is held by secret ballot under stringent measures to ensure fairness. Ballot papers unmarked except for the school stamp and serial number are issued, and are dropped by the voters in boxes marked with the candidates' symbols in complete privacy, following which the voters' fingers are inked in a manner similar to India's political process. At the end of the same day, the votes are counted and the winning candidate, or the next SPL, is announced. The runner-up, by rule, becomes the Assistant SPL. Usually the third and fourth (if any) candidates are offered the Discipline and Activity Ministerial posts, but this is only a convention.

Swearing-In Ceremony

The School Cabinet is sworn in and invested with their badges by the Principal in a solemn ceremony in the School Auditorium, where the Cabinet takes their oath by candle-light following a procession and a hymn. The ceremony is attended by the entire electorate as well as some younger students.

School Anthem

The school shares its anthem with other schools under the Apostolic Carmel's Eastern Province -- Within Thy Hallowed Portals Carmel Dear.

The anthem has four verses and a chorus. The lyrics exalt the school spirit, the Carmel values, and the loyalty of Carmelites to school and country.

Rules for singing the anthem

Students, alumni, teachers, parents and everyone else present are expected to stand in attention when the Anthem is sung or played. Exceptions are only made for those playing instruments, who are allowed the freedom required to operate their instruments while standing. Only pianists are allowed to sit.

The full anthem is sung only on very special occasions, and many students will spend their entire school life never having heard it sung this way except for when it is taught. On generally important occasions, the first verse and the chorus are sung. On repetitive occasions like the morning assembly, different verses are sung on different days, commonly by rotation.

The Anthem is always sung after all other anthems of internal clubs, etc. -- except for the National Anthem which, when sung at the same ceremony, is always sung last.

Lyrics^[1]

1.

Within thy hallowed portals Carmel dear

We learn the truth that casts out fear

God is our all, He’s always near

Thus inspired with faith and wisdom clear.

Chorus:

Raise then on high the Carmel banner bright

To one and all it shall proclaim

We stand for truth, for equal rights

In prayerful trust and in God’s name.

2.

In dedicated love our duty done

And kind concern for every one

O Carmel School, of you we proudly sing

To you our loyal love we bring.

3.

Mount Carmel School it fashions us to be

Women of high thinking brave and free

Loyal to our school our home, our land

Proud to have a heritage so grand.

4.

Responsible, courageous leaders we

For social justice, progress, people free

Our culture prized, Indian to the core

Women with a vision ever to do more.

References