Latest news with #EMIS
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Chennai: Overloading of vehicles with schoolchildren raises concern among parents
As schools across Tamil Nadu reopened on Monday (June 2, 2025) after summer vacation, the sight of private autorickshaws and vans overloaded with children have become a common sight on the already congested roads in Chennai. This has caused concern among parents. 'Neither the school authorities nor drivers seem to want to take responsibility for the safety of the children. In the event of an accident, who will be to blame?' asked Vidya Rajkumar, a child rights activist and a parent herself. According to a State Government Order, an autorickshaw can only carry a maximum of five children up to the age of 14 or three adult passengers, excluding the driver. R. Anushka, a Class 8 student at a private school, recounted the time when there were six children, including her, in an autorickshaw. 'One of them was seated beside the driver, which is dangerous,' she added. In 2024, the School Education Department issued guidelines for school buses run by private schools, which included the mandatory appointment of female assistants, employment of drivers with a minimum experience of 10 years and no police cases against them, and installation of GPS and closed-circuit television cameras in the vehicles. The schools had to upload the details of the vehicles, drivers, and assistants on the Education Management Information System (EMIS) portal. Background checks Principals of schools in the city said the parents had a responsibility to thoroughly vet the drivers and their vehicles before they hire them. 'We have advised the parents to check the drivers' background and inspect the vehicles before availing themselves of the services,' said N. Vijayan, correspondent of Zion Matriculation Higher Secondary School, in Tambaram. 'There has been no checking of these vehicles. As a working parent, we do vet the drivers, but it has become common practice for them to pack as many children as they can into their vehicles,' said K. Rupa, the parent of a 13-year-old. S. Arumainathan, president, Tamil Nadu Students Parents Welfare Association, said the School Education Department should issue a circular to the other departments and schools regarding the issue. 'But the traffic police and Transport Department should also come forward and take action to curtail the issue,' he said. A senior official of the Greater Chennai Traffic Police said no complaints regarding the problem had been received. 'When complaints are filed, action can be taken, and a special drive will be conducted to crack down on such practices,' the official added.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- The Hindu
Overloading of vehicles dropping off schoolchildren raises concern among parents
As schools reopened on Monday, the sight of private autorickshaws and vans overloaded with children have become a common sight on the already congested roads. This has caused concern among parents. 'Neither the school authorities nor drivers seem to want to take responsibility for the safety of the children. In the event of an accident, who will be to blame?' asked Vidya Rajkumar, a child rights activist and a parent herself. According to a State Government Order, an autorickshaw can only carry a maximum of five children up to the age of 14 or three adult passengers, excluding the driver. R. Anushka, a Class 8 student at a private school, recounted the time when there were six children, including her, in an autorickshaw. 'One of them was seated beside the driver, which is dangerous,' she added. In 2024, the School Education Department issued guidelines for school buses run by private schools, which included the mandatory appointment of female assistants, employment of drivers with a minimum experience of 10 years and no police cases against them, and installation of GPS and closed-circuit television cameras in the vehicles. The schools had to upload the details of the vehicles, drivers, and assistants on the Education Management Information System (EMIS) portal. Background checks Principals of schools in the city said the parents had a responsibility to thoroughly vet the drivers and their vehicles before they hire them. 'We have advised the parents to check the drivers' background and inspect the vehicles before availing themselves of the services,' said N. Vijayan, correspondent of Zion Matriculation Higher Secondary School, in Tambaram. 'There has been no checking of these vehicles. As a working parent, we do vet the drivers, but it has become common practice for them to pack as many children as they can into their vehicles,' said K. Rupa, the parent of a 13-year-old. S. Arumainathan, president, Tamil Nadu Students Parents Welfare Association, said the School Education Department should issue a circular to the other departments and schools regarding the issue. 'But the traffic police and Transport Department should also come forward and take action to curtail the issue,' he said. A senior official of the Greater Chennai Traffic Police said no complaints regarding the problem had been received. 'When complaints are filed, action can be taken, and a special drive will be conducted to crack down on such practices,' the official added.
Time of India
28-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Spl camps, help desks to boost enrolment for higher education
Madurai: School heads and education department officials are stepping up measures to push up enrolment of Class XII pass-out govt school students in higher education institutions. Special grievance camps and help desks/special cells organised by district administrations offer direct guidance and support for these students, especially those from economically weaker backgrounds. Last year, Madurai district achieved around 69% enrolment in higher education. District chief education officer A Renuka told TOI that 'Kalluri Kanavu' programme held recently had a good reach. "Teachers are monitoring students who completed Class XII and are helping them in applying for colleges and universities. A special cell/help desk has also been set up at Madurai collectorate and students who face difficulties can approach them. In case of financial issues, we are connecting with banks to provide guidance and solutions," she added. School education department officials said digitization of records helps track students better and ensure no one is missed out. "All students now have an EMIS number assigned during school. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Dark Truth Nobody Talks About! Expertinspector Click Here Undo When they enroll in higher education institutions, they are now assigned unique UMIS numbers which will confirm their enrolment," said the official. In Dindigul, district collector S Saravanan presided over a special grievance camp on Wednesday exclusively for govt school students attempting to go for higher education. "Such special grievance camps will be conducted once in 15 days till October. Students can get guidance on applying for higher education and on availing education loans or solutions to any issues that may hinder them," he said. A total of 245 petitions were submitted at Wednesday's special grievance camp in Dindigul. Nadhiya, a Class XII student from Vellodu who scored 355 marks, said the income her mother gets as an anganwadi cook was far from enough for pursuing higher education. "I applied to study DPharm, a paramedical course, at a private college but the fees was Rs 65,000 a year. The collector examined my petition and assured to help me get a full scholarship," she added. Virudhunagar district, which achieved a Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) of around 95% last year and topped the state, is organizing a special grievance camp on May 31.
IOL News
27-04-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Mpumalanga Education Department defends R2 million paid for laptops, says MEC is not involved
Mpumalanga Education MEC Catherine Dlamini said she was not involved in the purchasing process of the new 22 laptops worth millions bought for staff. The Mpumalanga Department of Education has confirmed spending over R2 million on new laptops for 22 of its employees. MEC Catherine Dlamini was not involved in the procurement process, nor did she receive any of the devices." The laptops were purchased in December 2024. The department admitted in a statement on Saturday that the devices came at a high cost and they were meant for the Department's Education Management Information Systems(EMIS) and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) teams. Other officials whose operational responsibilities require high-performance computing equipment also benefitted, according to the department. The department clarified that Dlamini was not a recipient of one of the purchases. 'It must be emphasised that the MEC was not involved in the procurement process at any stage, nor did she receive any of the laptops in question. 'The fact is by law the MEC is not involved in any procurement processes. To implicate her or her office in this matter is both misleading and unjust and undermines the principles of fair and transparent administration,' the department. During a recent question-and-answer session in the provincial legislature, MEC Dlamini disclosed that she is still using a second-hand laptop issued to her upon joining the department in July 2024. She noted that the decision to continue using the older device was made in light of the department's cost considerations, highlighting that the procurement of new laptops would cost approximately R91,482.50 each. According to the department, the high-performance laptops were specifically purchased for the EMIS and ICT teams due to the nature of their work, which involves managing complex and resource-intensive systems essential to the Department's functioning. The team's responsibilities include key tasks such as managing Office 365 accounts, supporting schools, districts, and circuits, troubleshooting network issues, and providing real-time technical support. Their duties include but are not limited to: resetting user passwords via Active Directory Manager, assisting users with email connectivity issues, rebuilding user accounts, and configuring Multi-Factor. The situation has garnered significant public interest, drawing attention from both citizens and civil society organisations across the country. As a result, AfriForum formally requested clarity from the department regarding the matter. When questioned, Dlamini was unable to specify the laptop brand or the software installed that might justify the unusually high cost. However, she committed to providing a comprehensive written response once all relevant information has been compiled. To date, the department has also withheld details regarding the identity of the supplier and the specific individuals or units utilising the laptops. IOL
