*
Tagore flunked school, St Xavier's School reveals *
KOLKATA: For those who are struggling in the back benches,
here’s some hope:
India’s best known poet and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore
was
an utter failure in school and an inattentive student to boot.
According to documents sifted by researchers to be made public
on Tagore birth anniversary on Friday, the bard enrolled in Calcutta’s St
Xavier’s school in 1875. According to a document prepared by alumni of St
Xavier’s School and the college, Tagore joined the school in his fifth year
along with his older brother Somendranath and his nephew Satyaprasad, who
too was two years older than him. However, while the other two managed to
get promoted to the entry-level class, Rabindranath did not and after a
while was taken out and home tutored.
The documents found by the college include details of Tagore
joining the school four months after the session began. Hence, he was
charged five rupees less as fees by the school. The total fees for a whole
year then was a princely eight rupees. This apart, details of how Tagore
performed in class, his relationship with teachers, primarily Father LD
Voice and Father D Peneranda, interaction with classmates and several rare
photographs have been made available in the volume, which also quotes
extensively from Jibansmriti — Tagore’s autobiography.
Yet, St Xavier’s is planning a grand celebration of one of its
weakest students. The college will celebrate the birth anniversary of Tagore
on Friday as a run up to its 150th year celebrations that culminates in
January 2010.
‘‘Tagore was a genius who didn’t need the confines of a school
for his education. We are proud that he had once studied in this institution
and hence we will be celebrating the birth anniversary of this illustrious
alumnus as part of our 150th year celebrations,’’ said Father Felix Raj,
principal of the college. Tagore had studied in three other schools before
finally joining St Xavier’s, according to the details that he had submitted
to the school during admission. These are, Normal School, Calcutta Academy
and Oriental Seminary. The last one still exists in Chitpore.
‘‘While his family tried to keep him in school, he tried all
kinds of tricks to run away. After his admission to St Xavier’s, his elder
brothers and sisters tried to counsel him against using such tactics but he
couldn’t manage a promotion and eventually dropped out,’’ the document says.
The classrooms where Tagore attended his classes do not exist
anymore as they were brought down to house the new college building on the
Park Street side of the campus. However, researchers stumbled on a large
number of documents in the college’s Goethals Library, which have all been
included in the document.
* The Link :*
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Tagore-flunked-school-St-Xaviers-School-reveals/articleshow/4497442.cms
regards
briana
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