Mumbai: In a first, Campion School opens doors for girl students
Starting with Nursery and Junior Kindergarten (KG), the popular South Bombay school began the transition from an all-boys to a co-educational institution from this academic year, which commenced on Monday.
A total of 38 girls have taken admission to Campion school in these two classes, as the school plans to follow a 50-50 ratio of boys and girls for admissions.
The day was marked by a joyful ceremonial welcome for young girls by school staff along with two reputed government officials as guests — Prashant Narnaware, secretary, Governor of Maharashtra and Ragasudha R, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mumbai.
Fr. John Rose, chairperson of the school management, said, 'This is a historic beginning, one that reaffirms Campion's commitment to progress, equality, and holistic learning.'
As per information shared by the school's management, to ensure a smooth and sensitive transition to a co-educational environment, Campion has undertaken a comprehensive readiness plan that includes infrastructure enhancements such as secure, separate washrooms and privacy-conscious facilities; recruitment of female educators, counselors, and support staff; gender-neutral classroom design and mixed-seating arrangements.
The school has also modified its anthem and other prayers to replace words such as boys and sons with more inclusive words, to welcome girls.
As Campion school welcomed its first batch of girls, the school which is historically led by male principals, particularly Jesuit priests will now be headed by Sarah Justin Thomas, a woman principal.
'It is very exciting to be in this space at this moment, which marks a historical milestone with girls entering an all-boys school for the first time. I am looking forward to working with the Campion community which is extremely adaptive and committed to this transition along with preparing our students for the real world,' she said.
Campion has also begun adoption of the Cambridge Early Years Curriculum, which will start with these two classes.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
a day ago
- NDTV
Bihar Police Forest Officer Admit Card To Be Out On August 8, Check Exam Date, Timings
BPPSC Bihar Police Forest Officer 2025 Admit Card, Exam Date: The Bihar Police Sub-ordinate Service Commission (BPSSC) will release the admit card for the Bihar Police Forest Officer on August 8, 2025. Candidates who have applied for the examination will be able to check and download the admit card on the official website of the commission, The written competitive examination for the post of Bihar Police Forest Officer is scheduled to be conducted on August 24, 2025 in two shifts- 10 am to 11 am and 2 to 4 pm. Candidates must make sure to reach the allotted centre at 8:30 am for the first shift examination and 12:30 for the second shift. Bihar Forest Officer Admit Card 2025: How To Download Admit Card? Visit the official website, Click on Bihar Forest Officer Admit Card. A new page will open. Enter your login credentials. Your admit card will be displayed on the screen. Download and save your result for future reference. Bihar Police Forest Officer Admit Card 2025: Documents Required For Exam Candidates will be required to bring the following documents to their allotted exam centres, as notified by the BPPSC: Any Valid Photo Identity Card such as PAN Card, Passport, Voter ID card, Driving License or Adhaar Card If candidate's photo is not clear on the admit card, they are required to bring their passport size photograph to the exam centre. Candidates who will be having an issue in downloading the admit card will be able to obtain it from the respective office of BPPSC only on August 19, 2025 from 10 am to 5 pm.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- The Hindu
Pathiri mango: a variety introduced by German missionary in Tamil Nadu's Mayiladuthurai
In the world of mangoes, Pathiri is to Mayiladuthurai (or Mayavaram) what Alphonso is to Maharasthra. Alphonso is named after Afonso de Albuquerque, the viceroy of Portuguese India from 1509 to 1515 CE. Jesuit missionaries, who first began grafting mango plants in Goa between 1550 and 1575 CE, also introduced the Alphonso variety. Once confined to the western parts of India, the fruit is now cultivated nationwide. William Dalrymple, the author of The White Mughals, writes about the correspondence between British officials Palmer and James Kirkpatrick. In it, Palmer offered to send him a selection of mango grafts for his orchards. The two were soon comparing notes on their favourite varieties, agreeing — sensibly enough — that the Alphonso was hard to beat. Pathiri, on the other hand, remains unique to Mayiladuthurai and the surrounding areas. The name is short for Pathiriyar, the Tamil word for a Christian priest (Father). Rev. Ochs, a German missionary and pastor of the Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church (TELC) Holy Immanuel Church in Mayiladuthurai, was the first to plant the sapling of this variety. Hard to resist While a fine variety of Alphonso remains beyond the reach of the common man, Pathiri, with its unique aroma and sweetness, floods the markets of Mayiladuthurai and neighbouring areas during the season. The green-yellow skin and red-yellow pulp are hard to resist. Like the Kathali banana, the sugar content of the fruit is concentrated as the skin of the fruit shrinks. People prefer the fruit with shrunken skin, as they make a hole and suck the pulp as if they were drinking juice from a bottle through a straw. There is an apocryphal story about the propagation of the Pathiri mango. Rev. Ochs, who came to Mayiladuthurai in 1845 for missionary work and stayed there until 1857, is said to have found a mango seed floating in the waters of River Cauvery. He planted the seed. After a few years, it began yielding fruit. The unripe fruit was extremely sour, and Ochs was initially disappointed. However, when fully ripened, the fruit emitted a distinctive aroma and had a delightful taste. He distributed it to visitors to the church. People liked it and began calling it Pathiri, as it had been given to them by the Pathiriyar. Though the original tree planted by Ochs died a few years ago, a few of its 'descendants', majestic in size, still stand in the garden of the Mayiladuthurai church. The last fruits of the season, some of them already tasted by squirrels and birds, still hang from the trees. Their yellow-red pulp offers a hint of the fruit's flavour and taste. 'There were nine trees in the garden, including the first one planted by Rev. Ochs. But it died a few years ago. Its 'offspring' are still in the garden and bear fruit,' says A.J. Alphonse, the gardener. Presented by a convert An article published in the souvenir of the TELC says a sapling of Pathiri was given to Rev. Ochs by Gnanachiriyam, a Christian convert who was in charge of the Saraswathi Mahal Library in Thanjavur. He was instrumental in populating the garden of the church with various trees. 'It was he who presented Ochs with a grafted sapling of a mango tree. Ochs, known for his green fingers, paid special attention to growing the mango plant. As the tree bore fruit with extraordinary taste and aroma, it became popular amongst the locals. They named it Pathiri,' says the article. The entire garden is still known as Pathiri Thottam. It was so popular that people in Mayiladuthurai planted at least one sapling in the vacant space around their homes. The aroma is overpowering, and the fruit easily attracts the attention of customers in the market. 'It will announce its presence by its aroma. People buy it and send it to their relatives in the country and abroad,' says Thulasiraman, a fruit vendor in Mayiladuthurai. The original tree, which lived for 125 years, was cut down in 1982 after losing its branches and starting to decay. But saplings grafted from the tree have spread to many parts of Tamil Nadu. 'Grafting is vital' R. Venkatraman, Deputy Director of the Horticulture Department, Thanjavur, says that while a new plant can be grown from the seeds of the Pathiri tree, there is no guarantee that it will possess all the characteristics of the original plant and fruit. 'The best way to ensure the original characteristics and quality is grafting. The upper part of the sapling should be grafted with a branch from the original tree.'
The Hindu
5 days ago
- The Hindu
A mango filled with unique aroma and taste and introduced by a missionary
In the world of mangoes, Pathiri is to Mayiladuthurai (or Mayavaram) what Alphonso is to Maharasthra. Alphonso is named after Afonso de Albuquerque, the viceroy of Portuguese India from 1509 to 1515 CE. Jesuit missionaries, who first began grafting mango plants in Goa between 1550 and 1575 CE, also introduced the Alphonso variety. Once confined to the western parts of India, the fruit is now cultivated nationwide. William Dalrymple, the author of The White Mughals, writes about the correspondence between British officials Palmer and James Kirkpatrick. In it, Palmer offered to send him a selection of mango grafts for his orchards. The two were soon comparing notes on their favourite varieties, agreeing — sensibly enough — that the Alphonso was hard to beat. Pathiri, on the other hand, remains unique to Mayiladuthurai and the surrounding areas. The name is short for Pathiriyar, the Tamil word for a Christian priest (Father). Rev. Ochs, a German missionary and pastor of the Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church (TELC) Holy Immanuel Church in Mayiladuthurai, was the first to plant the sapling of this variety. Hard to resist While a fine variety of Alphonso remains beyond the reach of the common man, Pathiri, with its unique aroma and sweetness, floods the markets of Mayiladuthurai and neighbouring areas during the season. The green-yellow skin and red-yellow pulp are hard to resist. Like the Kathali banana, the sugar content of the fruit is concentrated as the skin of the fruit shrinks. People prefer the fruit with shrunken skin, as they make a hole and suck the pulp as if they were drinking juice from a bottle through a straw. There is an apocryphal story about the propagation of the Pathiri mango. Rev. Ochs, who came to Mayiladuthurai in 1845 for missionary work and stayed there until 1857, is said to have found a mango seed floating in the waters of River Cauvery. He planted the seed. After a few years, it began yielding fruit. The unripe fruit was extremely sour, and Ochs was initially disappointed. However, when fully ripened, the fruit emitted a distinctive aroma and had a delightful taste. He distributed it to visitors to the church. People liked it and began calling it Pathiri, as it had been given to them by the Pathiriyar. Though the original tree planted by Ochs died a few years ago, a few of its 'descendants', majestic in size, still stand in the garden of the Mayiladuthurai church. The last fruits of the season, some of them already tasted by squirrels and birds, still hang from the trees. Their yellow-red pulp offers a hint of the fruit's flavour and taste. 'There were nine trees in the garden, including the first one planted by Rev. Ochs. But it died a few years ago. Its 'offspring' are still in the garden and bear fruit,' says A.J. Alphonse, the gardener. Presented by a convert An article published in the souvenir of the TELC says a sapling of Pathiri was given to Rev. Ochs by Gnanachiriyam, a Christian convert who was in charge of the Saraswathi Mahal Library in Thanjavur. He was instrumental in populating the garden of the church with various trees. 'It was he who presented Ochs with a grafted sapling of a mango tree. Ochs, known for his green fingers, paid special attention to growing the mango plant. As the tree bore fruit with extraordinary taste and aroma, it became popular amongst the locals. They named it Pathiri,' says the article. The entire garden is still known as Pathiri Thottam. It was so popular that people in Mayiladuthurai planted at least one sapling in the vacant space around their homes. The aroma is overpowering, and the fruit easily attracts the attention of customers in the market. 'It will announce its presence by its aroma. People buy it and send it to their relatives in the country and abroad,' says Thulasiraman, a fruit vendor in Mayiladuthurai. The original tree, which lived for 125 years, was cut down in 1982 after losing its branches and starting to decay. But saplings grafted from the tree have spread to many parts of Tamil Nadu. 'Grafting is vital' R. Venkatraman, Deputy Director of the Horticulture Department, Thanjavur, says that while a new plant can be grown from the seeds of the Pathiri tree, there is no guarantee that it will possess all the characteristics of the original plant and fruit. 'The best way to ensure the original characteristics and quality is grafting. The upper part of the sapling should be grafted with a branch from the original tree.'
