St. Thomas' English Medium School language of communication (both written and verbal), all the subjects are taught in English language; apart from Hindi (subject), which is an exception and a regional language. STEMS is tied up closely with The Church. Staff members (including administrators, teachers and helpers) practice Catholicism. Daily assembly happens in the large playground where students start their day with prayers and The National Anthem of India, Jana Gana Mana. Terminal examinations are held thrice every year to keep a performance check and provide feedback about students' progress. Students are required to answer a set of questions, typically by handwriting all answers on
Besant Theosophical College activities, was obliged to dissociate itself from the Madras University and became part of the newly organized National University. Rabindranath Tagore was the chancellor. In 1919, Tagore visited the college and during this time translated the lyrics of the Indian national anthem, "Jana Gana Mana", which he had previously written, from Bengali to English. Margaret Cousins (an expert in European music and wife of Irish poet James Cousins, then vice-principal of the college) set down the notation to the national anthem in the college, which is followed only when the song is sung in the original slow rendition style. During