TN schools to ring water bells, circular soon
KRISHNAGIRI: The School Education Department in Tamil Nadu will soon send circulars to schools asking to commence the 'water bell' programme, announced Minister of School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on Friday.
The water bell initiative, which is followed in a few southern states and Puducherry, aims to promote timely intake of drinking water by students to avoid dehydration.
"The Kerala government has been carrying out the water bell initiative for the past two years. In Tamil Nadu, our teachers have been verbally instructing the students to drink more water. Considering the well-being of the children, we have been the first to launch the "Chief Minister's Breakfast Scheme". Soon we will send circulars instructing schools to commence the water bell initiative," said Minister of School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi at a press meet.
Prior to the press meet, the minister participated in the inauguration of the 'STEM Innovation and Learning Centre' in eight schools in Krishnagiri. "Sixteen STEM innovation centres and learning centres have been opened in Krishnagiri district at a cost of Rs 4.44 crore. Out of the 83 STEM innovation centres in the country, Tamil Nadu has 33, and of these, 16 are in Hosur. Students would learn through practical hands-on learning in fields of science, engineering, IT, and other sectors," the minister said.
The minster also participated in a conference organised by teachers of the Tamil Nadu Urdu Primary and Middle School. "Urdu is not a foreign language. It is an Indian language with beautiful literature. As per the 2001 survey, over 6% of the population, roughly around 52 million people, speak Urdu in India," Anbil Mahesh noted.
Later, the minister also participated in the State Level Achievement Survey (SLAS) events at Mookandapalli, Hosur and Adhiyamankottai in Dharmapuri. "The SLAS aims to improve the performance of teachers and schools for the betterment of students' education," the minister stated.
The minister also announced that over 2,346 vacancies for teachers would be filled soon.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
Abandoned coal mines in Jharkhand turn into thriving fish farms, thanks to PMMSY
Ramgarh (Jharkhand): Once abandoned and waterlogged coal mines in Ramgarh district of Jharkhand are now buzzing with economic activity, as residents turn to cage fish farming, earning lakhs of rupees and creating employment under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). Speaking to IANS, Arup Kumar Choudhary, District Fisheries Officer of Ramgarh, said, "The closed coal mines in this region were lying unused for years, filled with stagnant water. With the introduction of cage culture, which was initially limited to reservoirs, locals saw a new opportunity to earn a livelihood from fish farming. They requested that cages be installed in these mines so they could begin employment locally." Choudhary added that many residents were already trained in fish farming. Under a government pilot project in 2013-14, one cage battery was installed in a defunct mine to test the feasibility of cage culture, he said. "The people replicated the model used in reservoirs. It worked successfully in the mine setting as well. This success prompted the state government to give them full permission to expand fish farming in the mines," he added. With support from both district and state-level schemes, as well as initiatives from the Jharkhand government, many local families are now engaged in cage farming. The fish produced here is not only sold within Jharkhand but also supplied to neighbouring Bihar districts such as Gaya and Sasaram. "These projects are now a reliable source of income for many families, and have opened doors for employment in production, supply, and marketing," Choudhary added. One of the key beneficiaries, Shashikant Mahato from Aara Basti village in Ramgarh, who is actively involved in cage fish farming under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, shared his story. "This mine was shut in 1999 and remained idle for years. In 2010, we began by releasing fish seed here using our own money. The results were excellent -- we harvested up to 27 quintals of fish," he said. "In 2012, we started cage culture with 68 cages in one mine. Now, another mine has also been activated, with around 20 people working there. Overall, nearly 100 families in our village are sustaining their livelihoods through this project. Our village has about 250 homes, and this fish farming supports more than 100 of them," he added. Mahato also told about how the initiative is growing. "Every year, around four to six more households join. I believe that in the near future, our entire village will be connected to the fisheries department through this programme." With assistance from the government scheme, they have also procured an insulated van for fish transport, improving marketing and supply. "We are producing around 40 to 60 tonnes of fish annually. Everyone earns between Rs 1.5 and Rs 2 lakh per year. Thanks to the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, we are now running our work efficiently and attracting youth to the fisheries sector," Mahato added proudly. This transformation of defunct mines into flourishing fish farms is not only boosting the local economy but also setting an example for sustainable livelihood development in resource-depleted areas.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
School Education Minister holds review meeting on National Achievement Survey with school heads in Tiruppur
School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi convened a meeting of school heads in Tiruppur on Saturday to determine readiness of schools in backward areas to prepare students for the National Achievement Survey (NAS). The Minister sought suggestions from the heads of government, government-aided and private unaided schools, to improve learning levels of students in third, fifth and eight grades. Though the NAS does not provide scores for individual student/school, it is a national representative survey that provides a system-level reflection on effectiveness of school education, according to the organisers of the review meeting. The NAS is the basis for educational planners and policy makers including researchers in understanding the interdependence of assessment, pedagogical process and learning outcomes. The tests are conducted in language, mathematics and environmental studies for class 3 and 5; language, mathematics, science and social science for class 8; and modern Indian language, mathematics, science, social science and English for class 10. Mr. Poyyamozhi called upon parents to monitor smart phone usage and ensure that their wards are not distracted. District Collector Manish S Narnaware, Commissioner of Tiruppur City Corporation M.P. Amit and officials of School Education department took part.
The Hindu
5 hours ago
- The Hindu
Schools in Mysuru to take up ‘Beat Plastic Pollution' campaign
In view of the growing threat to the environment from non-biodegradable plastic material, schools in Mysuru will be embarking on a unique 'Beat Plastic Pollution' campaign under which students will be asked to collect discarded plastic pieces and deposit the same at a designated place in the school. A note issued by the office of Deputy Director (Administration) of School Education Department in Mysuru said the Beat Plastic Pollution campaign envisages the collection of 10 pieces of discarded plastic daily by the students, who will deposit the same in a designated place in the school. 'After 10 days, the officials from the City Corporation, Municipality, Town Municipality, Gram Panchayat, Town Panchayat should be called to arrange for the disposal of the collected plastics' said the note. All schools to implement The Beat Plastic Pollution campaign is to be implemented in all Government, aided and unaided schools in Mysuru as part of an initiative to create awareness against plastic. The note issued by the Deputy Director of School Education Department in Mysuru has asked all Block Education Officers of the district to implement the campaign in all government, aided and unaided schools in their respective jurisdictions. The heads of the institutions should be given appropriate guidance in the regard so that use of plastic is gradually reduced. The note cites a message received by the School Education Department from environmentalist Vasanth Kumar Mysoremath with regard to the Beat Plastic Pollution campaign. In his suggestion to the Education Department, Mr. Mysoremath, who is also a leading anti-tobacco campaigner in Mysuru, said children can be made 'achievers' by asking them to bring 10 pieces or more of discarded plastic from their homes or anywhere and place them in a designated place in their respective schools. 'If there are 1,000 schools with 200 students in each school and if the students bring 10 pieces of plastic every day for 10 days, we will be arresting 2,00,00,000 (two crore) pieces of discarded plastic from our environment in 10 days', he said while adding that no expenditure is incurred for achieving this 'innovative, doable, replicable, economical and sustainable' environment plan of action. After ten days, the heads of institution call the municipal authorities and request them to collect the plastic pieces gathered by the students of their school. Mr. Mysoremath also suggested that the authorities may consider using the discarded plastic stock for laying roads with the available technology. The authorities may also consider awarding certificates of honour to the schools and children for collecting the maximum quantity of plastic, said Mr. Mysoremath.
