| Confusion over live telecast of Modi's address on Teacher's Day | | Director's circular to CEOs says presence of students, teachers compulsory; verbally DSE shows flexibility | | Akshay Azad
JAMMU, Sept 4: Over the scheduled live telecasting of Prime Minister Narender Modi's Teachers' Day speech on September 5, which has already invited controversies, there is a confusion among teachers fraternity of Jammu region over a cirular issued by Director School Education (DSE) to all Chief Education Officers (CEO), directing them to make compulsory the presence of teachers and students in their respective schools.
According to the circular issued by Director School Education Jammu (DSEJ) to all Chief Education Officers (CEOs) which is in possession of Early Times, it has been stated, "You (CEOs) are directed to make necessary arrangments in the schools as desired by the Administrative department and ensure 100 per cent participation of schools/students and teachers on the said occasion as per time and schedule (10 AM to 5 PM)."
Though the circuular explicitly made it clear for ensuring 100 percent participation, when contacted, Director School Education Jammu, H R Pakhroo, showed some relaxation and said that it was not compulsory to ensure 100 percent paticipation of students.
He said that in the backdrop of rains, the Chief Education Officers (CEOs) have been delegated powers to announce holiday if required. "It is not compulsory for each school to organize event but it can be done on cluster level", he said, adding that the safety of students was supreme and if there would be rains tomorrow, CEOs could announce holiday.
A school teacher while criticizing the DSE said that the verbal relaxation made no differnce for them as in the written circular, it has been undoubtedly maintained that matter might be treated as most urgent and negligence if any should be viewed seriously.
"According to order, the heads of all schools have been instructed to make arrangments and we have to arrange generator or inverter as school has no electricity connection, Antena, Setup box, Television or Radio", he said, adding that already, it takes around two hours to reach the school and the rains have made the journey extremely difficult.
Pertinently, according to details available with Early Times, nearly 7483 schools including Primary, Middle and High schools, Higher Secondaries across the state are without electricty connection.
The last paragraph of circular reads as, "All the Principals, Headmasters, Zonal Education Officers (ZEOs), of respective districts may accordingly be instructed to ensure the 100 pc participation of schools/students of their respective areas at school level, cluster level, zonal level, district level by making necessary arrangments".
"We are also asked to send photographs with students, witnessing the event. Though DSE is saying that students can attend function at cluster level, how we can send photogrpahs of our own schools, so that means everyone has to make arrangment in his own school premises", he rued. |
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