June date for Loreto handover - Time to thank and bid farewell
Posted by barunroy on May 30, 2008
By Vivek Chhetri
Darjeeling, May 29: It is farewell time for the Loreto Sisters who have decided to hand over the college run by them here to the Bengal government by June-end. [Inset: Loreto College, Darjeeling. Picture by Suman Tamang]
The authorities of the institution, which is owned by the government but was so long administered and managed by the Sisters through the Darjeeling Loreto Educational Society, have maintained that the decision to let go was taken because of a shortfall in manpower.
“The time to bid farewell and express our gratitude to the Darjeeling Loreto Educational Society has arrived. It is a day we never thought would come. Loreto has seen us through 47 glorious years. She has nurtured us, strengthened us, has instilled in us her vision, values and spirit,” reads a message that the staff-members of the college are sending to all well-wishers who want to attend the farewell programme on June 11.
Rinjee Wangdi, the teacher-in-charge of Loreto College, said: “The details of the handover is expected to be spelt out in the next governing body meeting. Sister M. Dsouza, the principal, is currently out of town.”
According to Wangdi, the director of public instruction (DPI) was scheduled to visit Darjeeling sometime back to work out the details. “Since they (DPI and his team) could not make it, I think they will fix up another date,” said Wangdi, who is expected to carry on in her post even after the handover because of Clause 7 of the North Bengal University statutory of 1985.
The clause states that the senior-most teacher has to be appointed the in-charge, in case the college does not have a principal.
With the change in guard, the college, too, will be renamed. The teachers had earlier suggested “Southfield”.
On the personal request of then chief minister B.C. Roy, the college was set up in 1961. From the eight students it had then, the college now has 400 girls and offers bachelor’s degree in the humanities stream.
Following the 1961 agreement, the Society was entrusted with appointing a Loreto sister as an honorary principal along with two teachers. The college was founded under the “special category” and apart from providing grants, the state government was also involved in the appointment of the remaining lecturers.
At present, the college has 25 government-appointed teachers along with five who work part time.
The Loreto Sisters, who follow the order of the Institute of Blessed Virgin Mary, run 11 educational institutes in Calcutta. One of them is Loreto College. [The Telegraph]
