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Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Mission Samarth 3.0: Ludhiana teachers allege initiative disrupts academic calendar, DEO refutes
As the Punjab government is set to begin the endline testing of Mission Samarth 3.0, an initiative which is hailed by the government as a step towards quality education, many teachers alleged that the mission disrupts academic calendar and puts teachers and students under unwanted pressure, affecting quality education. Teachers argue that the programme keeps students' away from their main curriculum for the first six months of the session. (HT File) Mission Samarth is a flagship programme by the state government designed to improve academic standards in government schools and strengthen the basics of students from Class 3 to 8. The mission groups students according to their learning levels during the first half of their session and focuses on targeted teaching in Punjabi, Mathematics and English, with updated study material and special emphasis on writing skills, mathematical ability and English comprehension. Teachers argue that the programme disrupts the academic calendar by keeping students away from their main curriculum for the first six months of the year. Due to which, teachers alleged that they are forced to complete the whole syllabus in the remaining half session, a period often marked by festive breaks, low attendance and unfinished lessons. 'During the last six months of their session, many students travel to their native places and miss classes. Attendance is also affected by forced enrolments, with migrant students being admitted but never attending the classes,' said Daljit Singh Samrala, district president of the Democratic Teachers' Front (DTF). He added that teachers are themselves 'samarth' in assessing and addressing learning levels without the need of such a mission. Another middle school teacher, requesting anonymity, pointed out that most schools suffer from staff shortages, making it nearly impossible to complete the syllabus in just six months. 'The syllabus left out due to 'Mission Samrath' gets added to the rest of the year's workload, putting both teachers and students under pressure,' the teacher said. Defending the initiative, district education officer (elementary) Ravinder Kaur said she has personally visited schools and found significant improvement in students' learning. 'If students' basics are polished, they will cope with the syllabus as well. Teachers are expected to manage the balance,' she said. As the endline testing is yet to begin, the mission continues to draw mixed reactions, praised for its focus on foundational skills but questioned for the strain it places on the regular curriculum.
Hindustan Times
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana: Got no funds for Sikhya Kranti events, rue teachers
Even as the government continues its 'Punjab Sikhya Kranti' campaign by launching a wave of infrastructural projects in government schools, teachers are still waiting to be reimbursed for expenses they personally bore to hold inauguration ceremonies. Since April 7, schools across the state have been hosting inauguration ceremonies for development works under the state's ambitious 54-day education initiative. The campaign aims to cover around 25,000 renovation and repair projects worth ₹2,000 crore across 12,000 government schools. These projects are to be inaugurated by May 31, with an estimated cost of ₹20 crore for the inauguration events alone. But behind the scenes, the burden of organising these ceremonies — including costs for tents, plaques, and other arrangements — has fallen on the shoulders of school staff. Teachers say they have not only devoted time and effort to these preparations but have also paid from their own pockets, expecting that the funds would soon be released by the government. Daljit Singh Samrala, district president of the Democratic Teachers Front (DTF), said, 'Teachers have not just spent days preparing for these inaugurations, but they've also used their own money. Even though the inaugurations began on April 7, the funds have still not been released. It's hard this way for schools to maintain financial records.' 'The money should ideally be released before any such event so that the staff doesn't have to take on this financial load,' said one teacher, who requested not to be named. Under the current plan, senior secondary schools were sanctioned ₹20,000, secondary schools ₹10,000 and primary schools just ₹5,000 for the inauguration events. This uneven allocation has sparked frustration among primary school heads, who argue that the scale of preparation has been similar across all schools. Jagjit Singh Mann, district president of the Government Teachers' Union (GTU), called the fund allocation 'discriminatory.' He added, 'The extra expenses will ultimately be paid by the teachers themselves.' Davinder Singh Guru, general secretary of the Lecturer Cadre Union, highlighted another issue. 'Not all vendors give GST bills. So, when we're asked to submit official invoices to the department, it becomes a challenge. If the money is provided in advance, these problems won't arise.' District education officer (elementary) Ravinder Kaur responded to the concerns, saying, 'We have been asked to submit the total budget, which we have done. The money will be released soon.' ₹57L projects inaugurated in 6 schools Punjab housing and urban development minister Hardeep Singh Mundian on Saturday inaugurated infrastructure projects worth ₹57.63 lakh in six government primary schools under the Sahnewal constituency. These schools — located in Mangarh, Katani Kalan, Barwala, Bhaini Sahib, Raian and Katani Khurd — are part of the ongoing 'Sikhya Kranti' mission. Speaking at the event, Mundian noted that around 28 lakh students study in Punjab's 20,000 government schools, many of which lacked proper facilities. He highlighted that ₹2,000 crore is being spent under this initiative to upgrade schools with smart classrooms, modern labs, libraries, furniture, clean drinking water, boundary walls and better buildings.
