Latest news with #ChandrashekharNugli
Time of India
07-08-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Karnataka govt asks local agencies to appoint housekeeping staff to state-run schools
Bengaluru: Following multiple instances of children being asked to clean toilets, the department of school education and literacy has decided to allow local administrations to appoint agencies for housekeeping work at govt schools. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Asking students to wash school toilets has triggered controversy several times in the past. The latest was when two teachers in a southwest Bengaluru school were booked by Begur police for making two students wash toilets in April. The department is said to have warned teachers and headmasters not to engage children in this activity. The pertinent issue is that it's mostly kids from certain castes who are picked for the task. "We'll soon issue a circular. Chief executive officers of zilla panchayats can appoint local agencies for housekeeping at a cluster level. These people will be in charge of cleaning toilets," said Trilok Chandra, commissioner, department of school education and literacy. Karnataka State Primary School Teachers' Association had sought an intervention in this regard. "We met department officials and the chief secretary and raised the issue. We hope it will be resolved soon," said association president Chandrashekhar Nugli. "Even though the Gandhian principle is to clean one's own toilet, the issue in govt schools is that it is only a specific group of children asked to do this task. It is not possible to ask teachers to take up this work even though they also use the toilets, as they have their hands full," said Niranjanaradhya VP, an educationist. "This is a welcome move, but I'm worried about its sustainability. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Local bodies have fund constraints themselves even though they have been allotted various duties and responsibilities. Other challenges could be a lack of running water in schools. The question is how to overcome these challenges," he added. BOX Directive to head teachers The department of school education and literacy has asked headmasters of schools to take precautionary measures to ensure the safety of children in schools. All headmasters are to check some basic points on a daily basis and update them on the School Achievement Tracking System (SATS) to prevent mishaps on campus. This includes checking foodgrains, safety measures regarding cylinders, water sumps, availability of teachers, infrastructure for children with disabilities, and CCTV coverage. If there are any lapses, the school's head teacher will be held responsible.
Time of India
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Karnataka government mulls phasing out Nali Kali, multi-class teaching system, in primary schools
Bengaluru: The Karnataka education department is actively considering a proposal to discontinue the Nali Kali system and convert multi-grade classrooms into single-grade setups in govt primary schools. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The move is being discussed in light of concerns over learning levels and enrolment trends. Nali Kali, an activity-based and self-paced learning system, currently groups students from multiple grades in the same classroom. "Nali Kali is multi-class teaching. We are requesting the govt to drop this system and make each grade different. The govt has shown a positive approach in this regard," Chandrashekhar Nugli, secretary, Karnataka State Primary School Teachers Association, said. A senior department official said the multi-grade approach may be impacting student learning outcomes and affecting enrolment in govt schools. In a recent meeting with chief secretary Shalini Rajneesh, the teachers' association also recommended introduction of NCERT textbooks from class 1 onwards. At present, Karnataka follows its own state-developed textbooks, unlike CBSE-affiliated schools, which use NCERT content. The Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board has separately suggested reducing SSLC exam pass mark from 35 to 33, in line with CBSE norms. It also proposed revising the first language paper's total marks from 125 to 100. Further, the association sought the appointment of clerks in primary schools and suggested outsourcing toilet cleaning to an external agency. "There have been several instances where teachers were suspended due to controversy surrounding toilet cleaning. We suggest that an outside agency can be given the task for a cluster of schools," Nugli said. They also flagged the mismatch between rising egg prices and stagnant budgets in the midday meal scheme.
