New twist to Bahrain school principal resignation row

Middle East News

New twist to Bahrain school principal resignation row

Dubai, May 30 (IANS) The ongoing controversy over the resignation of the principal of a well known Indian school in Bahrain got another twist with the principal alleging that he was forced to quit rather than he himself tendering the resignation.

K.T. Karmachandran, principal of the Indian School in Isa town in north central Bahrain, had tendered his resignation May 7 in the middle of the academic session, citing personal reasons. He was supposed to hand over charge to his successor at the end of this month.

However, according to a report in the Bahrain Tribune newspaper, Karmachandran has now alleged that he was forced to resign from the post by the executive committee of the school.

In a letter to a parent, a copy of which the newspaper claims to have, Karmachandran was quoted as saying, 'They demanded my resignation without assigning any valid reason. The only reason given to me was that the chemistry of the chairman is not working with the principal.'

The Indian School, affiliated to India's Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), is one of the largest expatriate schools in the Gulf region with 6,000 students on its rolls. Besides the one at Isa, it has another campus at Sitrah.

This year, students of the school achieved a record-breaking 99.46 per cent pass rate in the CBSE higher secondary school examinations.

Karmachandran's abrupt resignation had created a furore with the parents of students demanding that he be re-appointed till the end of the current academic session. They had also demanded an investigation into the whole matter.

Now, according to the Bahrain Tribune newspaper, Karmachandran has alleged that he was not even allowed any time by the executive committee and left with no option, he had to announce his resignation.

He denied that he had resigned to move on to a better job and said that that at this age, his interest was in the 'career of my students'. He said he was still willing to return to the school and left the decision to the parents.

He also launched a scathing attack on executive committee chairman P.V. Radhakrishna Pillai stating that the latter cooked up charges and raised false allegations against him.

'I have nothing to hide and always stood for the progress of the school. It is felt that the parent community has been kept in the dark and given half truths and misleading rumours,' the newspaper quoted him as saying in the letter.

At the height of the controversy, a statement, co-signed by Pillai and Karmachandran, was issued by Indian School reiterating that the principal had quit on personal grounds.

When contacted by Bahrain Tribune, Karmachandran refused to comment.

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New twist to Bahrain school principal resignation row