National Public School, Rajajinagar

Coordinates: 12°59′2.98″N 77°32′58.34″E / 12.9841611°N 77.5495389°E / 12.9841611; 77.5495389

National Public School is a school in Bangalore, India established in 1959 ^[1] by Dr. K. P. Gopalkrishna. Its main campus is located on Chord Road, 5th block, Rajajinagar. The campus comprises four buildings which house the classrooms, labs and auditorium. The playground comprises three portions. One portion houses the tennis court. The second portion is the throw-ball court.It is one of the few schools in India given full autonomy by the Central Board of Secondary Education. The school is often referred to internally as NPS-RNR or NPS-R. Classes generally consist of 30-40 children, and the total student strength currently exceeds 1800.^[2] The school has been reputed for the quality of its faculty.

Education

The school is renowned for its excellent academic reputation. It is one of only two schools in the country to have been granted full autonomy (upto class 10) by the Central Board of Secondary Education. Students writing the board examinations tradionally achieve high marks. The laboratories are well equipped and maintained; at least, in comparison with other centres of secondary education in Bangalore.

School Rules

Every student must report to the school before the watchman closes the rear gate. Entrance through the front gate is considered as late-coming even if the student is on time. The "late-comers" have to register with the librarian unless they have arrived via the school (mini)bus. The students must not only come with a clean uniform, but also with a sense of pride (albeit one that is capable of spontaneously giving way to one of humility, when faced with the spectre of local authority) and belonging to the NPS family.

The school is run through a strict regime, and if a student fails to follow any rule no matter how insignificant, he/she subsequently faces the consequences.

Parents are encouraged to actively participate in their wards' education ,which implies that they are expected to attend all Parent-Teacher Association^[3] (not currently registered under the Societies Act) meetings, which are usually conducted if the child has a below par performance in studies or misbehaviour in classes, or has been found guilty of maligning the nobility and honour of the school. However, parents are advised not to attend (or organise) such meetings under normal circumstances.

Disobedience is not tolerated in any form and may result in suspension, after minimal or no investigation. The school rules are enforced with vigour; as they are instrumental in the moulding of moral character. The management does not permit internal scrutiny of procedures or priorities, as these may reveal disturbing administrative tendencies as well as a requirement to re-think existing policies.

The houses

Students are distributed to four houses: Phoenix (blue); Centaur (red); Orion (green); and Pegasus (yellow). Pegasus currently possesses no student capable of attaining captaincy, thus causing students from other houses to be transferred. Each house has a distinct (and similar) identity, and while the inter-house games are competitive, house rivalries give way to school unity; while also possessing the additional advantage of offering one an opportunity to disentangle himself from the identity of his house.

There are two trophies awarded at the end of the year to the winning house(s). One is based on the performance of the house in athletics, while the second is based upon the house members' performance in the various clubs (theatre/science/math/quiz/computer).

Facilities

The school possesses a large and well-insulated auditorium (which stands up to the school's rigorous fire hazard requirements, and contains no fewer than four distinct major exits). Next to the auditorium are the two boys' washrooms, which are maintained as sanitarily as is possible. Inside the auditorium is a concrete badminton court, table tennis and other indoor sport facilities.

The school is also said to have a well-equipped science laboratory, and a modern computer laboratory with computing facilities for over eighty students.

The school is further purported to have the dubious advantage of being located above a source of fresh water. The institution's management has treated this discovery as financially opportune, and it is rumoured that efforts have been underway to exploit this natural resource. However, it has been further said that these efforts did not succeed in their primary objective; the main obstruction being the presence of major sewage pipes immediately beneath the main playground.

The Physical Education department is responsible for the enforcement of health and safety regulations in the school campus. The school is thus well equipped to handle everyday medical/first-aid issues: antiseptics are the principal remedy administered to victims of minor maladies; in the unlikely event of a major catastrophe, the hypothetical victim would be transferred to hospital via an ambulance.

Fire extinguishers have been installed at strategic locations. In the event of a fire, they will be employed to the institution's benefit, under strict supervision of the nearest staff member, who will also initiate the activity of the suppressant. The school conducts fire drills with enthusiasm, and the district fire brigade visits the school each year in order to educate students in matters of fire safety.

Other facilities that National Public School maintains include a canteen that provides drinking water (which is also used judiciously by the cleaning staff, also called 'ayahs'), bicycle parking (parking at owner's risk)^[4], serviceable lavatories, an extensive library (for staff members only) and a tea/coffee-making apparatus restricted to staff use.

Sport

Volleyball, basketball and throwball are the only permitted outdoor sports.

Football has been banned following mild distress from junior members of the student community; after their failure to distinguish between objects travelling at different velocities, and their successful interception of the more painful variety. Even when football was permitted rarely, lobs and long balls were prohibited, thereby encouraging the use of the "through-ball". Surprisingly, given these circumstances, the NPS-R school football team reached the semi-finals^[5][6] of the inter-school competition Vivum^[7] (conducted by TISB )^[8] in both 2009 and 2010. The school administration has adopted a policy that emphasises safety as a major priority, and sporting activities that are capable of causing mental or physical unease are strictly avoided.

School events

The school organizes a bi-annual Inter-school competition. The competition, known as Napsonic,^[9] involves a number of teams from different sister schools competing to win prizes for various events. To ensure fair play, the students of National Public School, Rajajinagar do not participate in the fests that the school usually sponsors.^[10]

The school conducts a number of intra-school events, among them the "Sports Day," with drills and march past; "Rhythms";^[11] and "Annual Day", a triennial event which in which all students participate. Students concentrate on dramas and enactments with the exception of those belonging to classes 10 and 12, for the school administration believes that these are years when their studies are more important than extracurricular activities, though the students seldom agree - chiefly due to the lack of administrative interest in academics. The sports day preliminary events are usually held immediately after lunch. "Spectrum"^[12] is an event in which students build scientific models, statues, paintings, or computer programs and exhibit their work to parents and other similar spectators. Each year the school organizes a Graduation Day^[13] programme^[14] to bid adieu to the graduating students, during the course of which students hold aloft lamps lit by a nine volt cell taped under the lamp. In 2010, the school celebrated its golden jubilee.^[15]

There are also school sports events conducted for classes 1 to 12 and kindergarten,^[16] in which the winners undertake a prestigious crown-wearing ceremony, witnessed by the entire participating section. In accordance with the school's commitment to the environmental movement and their policy on waste hierarchy (Reduce, Re-use, Recycle), the winner must subsequently hand the crown back to the vice-principal. There are three aluminum crowns in use presently.

It has been reported that the Annual Sports Meet 2011 for classes 5-8 was abandoned after the participants became involved in unnatural levels of aural emission. While this event has dampened student enthusiasm, it is unlikely to have any lasting impact on them. However, it has subsequently been reported that this event was indeed conducted, following negotiations between the NPS management and the student dissenters.

The school selectively encourages participation in inter-school competitions; students are permitted to compete only when it is probable they will do the school proud.

Criticism

The institution has frequently been criticised for its lack of support with regard to the teaching of local languages - Kannada is an optional subject, taught between classes 5-8. Consequently, the school has twice been attacked by mobs (acting with an apparent sense of loyalty to the state language); resulting in damage to the library and classrooms. As a precautionary measure, the name of the school is not publicly displayed anywhere on the premises.

Concerns have been raised over the issue of the deteriorating quality of education - majorly due to the appointments of new staff; many of whom are insufficiently experienced to replace senior teachers in the school, who are personally responsible for the reputation the school enjoys presently.

National Public School has also been censured for its attitude towards total and unquestioning obedience; and its position on student discipline. Also, its lack of flexibility about the uniform often has annoyed students. Popular opinion regarding the school suggests that students graduating often possess inflated opinions of their own abilities, and consider themselves superior to their peers from other institutions of learning. he year of 2009 witnessed an unprecedented event wherein the auditorium stage screen and walls were vandalised, consequently suffering minor damage. The school management took a very serious view of this offence, and called on the chairman, Dr. Gopalakrishna, to visit the school and counsel the students in matters of honesty and telling-on-peers. All high school students (assumed guilty until proven otherwise) were required to contribute to repairing the damage. There was no remarkable dissent during this process.

The year of 2009 witnessed an unprecedented event wherein the auditorium stage screen and walls were vandalised, and suffered minor damage. The school management took a very serious view of this offence, and called on the chairman, Dr. Gopalakrishna, to visit the school and counsel the students in matters of honesty and telling-on-peers. All high school students (assumed guilty until proven otherwise) were required to contribute to repairing the damage. There was no remarkable dissent during this process. However, the damage to the auditorium has not yet been repaired, and the school management has declined to comment on the matter.

School song

The school song, written by an anonymous alumnus, is traditionally sung by graduating students between the months of September and February, in their final year at school. However, it has been recently brought to notice that this song has been performed by a choir of eighth-graders. In this, too, the school ensures that students persevere and sing with dedication and the standard quantities of pride. It is a little known fact that the song is a slightly adapted version of the hymn 'Shine Father Shine'.

^[17] God help us to reach out to others

In the midst of our darkness shining

Let the light of our alma-mater shine on us

Set us free from the shackles of ignorance

Shine on us (2)

Shine let it shine

Fill our school with honour and glory

Blaze spirit blaze

Set our hearts on fire

Flow river flow

Flood our nation with peace and harmony

Help us reach out, reach high and reach beyond!

God help us to reach high above us

Keep our feet ever firm on the ground

Lord we come to your mighty presence (pronounced as pre-sonce)

From our shadow into your radiance (pronounced as radi - once)

Shine on us (2)

(Shine let it shine)

God help us to reach beyond horizons

Show us a vision that's filled with your wisdom

Mirrored here may we shine and endeavour

glorify the name of NPS forever

Shine on us (2)

(Shine let it shine)

Sister schools

• National Public School, Koramangala
• National Public School, Indiranagar
• National Public School, Chennai
• National Public School, HSR Layout
• National Academy For Learning
• The International School Bangalore
• National Public School International, Singapore
• National Hill View Public School, Rajarajeshwari Nagar

Notable alumni

• D.K. Shivakumar, Congress leader from Karnataka
• Gopal Krishna, 1975; Managing Director - Maxim India Integrated Circuits Pvt Ltd. Former General Manager at AMD, Realchip Communications. Alum at UC-Santa Barbara, UVCE
• Mahesh Dharan, 1975; President/COO at Avirtek Arizona, USA. Entrepreneur Corporate Development, Business Strategy at Intel, GE, Peoplesoft. Alum at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Syracuse University, RVCE.
• Rohit Baliga, 1975; presently at Bahrain. General Manager, Arabian East Bureau, Bahrain. Engineering Consultant
• Ashwini Nachappa, international athlete from Karnataka
• V. J. Ananthapadmanabha, 1975; Alumni: UVCE & Central College Business School, Bangalore University, General Manager, Kavveri Telecom Products Ltd. Bangalore
• Deepak Lazarus, a reputed music teacher currently in the employ of NPS, Rajajinagar
• Asmita Desai [prev. Gandhi], 1975; presently in India. Principal of A.V. Jasani School - Winner of British Council - International School Award - 2011.

References

1. ^ National Public School Official Website. "Other Branches."
2. ^ National Public School, Rajajinagar Student Strength
3. ^ http://www.npsrnr.com/index.php?page=sha_pare
4. ^ "Parking at owner's risk"
5. ^ http://www.vivumfest.com/vivumfest.com/Sports.html
6. ^ http://www.vivumfest.com/vivumfest.com/VIVUM_09.html
7. ^ http://www.vivumfest.com/vivumfest.com/Home.html
8. ^ http://www.tisb.org/activities.html
9. ^ http://www.npsrnr.com/index.php?page=nsh_naps
10. ^ "
11. ^ http://www.npsrnr.com/index.php?page=nsh_ryth
12. ^ http://www.npsrnr.com/index.php?page=nsh_spec
13. ^ http://www.npsrnr.com/index.php?page=grau2k9-10
14. ^ The Hindu: News Report of Graduation Day
15. ^ http://www.npsrnr.com/index.php?page=golden_jubilee
16. ^ NPS Rajajinagar Kindergarten Sports Day
17. ^ K.P Gopalakrishna. Almanac. National Public Press, Vijayanagar

External links

• NPS Rajajinagar Website
• NPS Alumni website(Inactive)
• An Alumni site(Site under maintenance. Proposed changes include a proper alumni networking system open to all alumni of NPS)