Latest news with #KrishnaKumari
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Noida, Ghaziabad teachers association join statewide protest against school merger
Noida: Over 2,000 teachers from Noida and Ghaziabad staged a sit-in at the district basic education offices and collectorate on Tuesday, stating that the state's decision to merge primary and upper primary schools, which have less than 50 students, with nearby institutions would deprive children, aged 6 to 14, from getting education in their neighbourhood in violation of Article 21A of the Constitution of India. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Protesters claimed the policy would also reduce vacancies for teaching staff in the state and would deepen the job crisis, especially for DElEd candidates. Teachers in Noida also claimed that the policy is contradictory to campaigns such as School Chalo Abhiyaan, as after pairing, several students stopped going to schools due to increased distance. The protest comes just a day after the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court upheld UP govt's June 16 order. A bench of justice Pankaj Bhatia dismissed two separate writ petitions filed by Krishna Kumari and others seeking the cancellation of the govt order. The court, however, observed the state govt is bound to ensure that no child is left out because of any action taken by it. Teachers argued that the policy will severely impact children's access to education, particularly in rural areas where schools are often the only accessible learning centres within walking distance. "This policy is not welcome at all," said Amit Goswami, president of Ghaziabad Teachers' Association. "It will reduce teaching positions, eliminate principal posts, and worsen the job crisis, especially for DElEd graduates. Currently, so many students pursue DElEd courses from private colleges too. Where will they go if there's no job in teaching services? It's demoralising for both students and teachers." According to officials, around 1.89 lakh candidates enrolled for the DElEd course in the admission process for the 2024 session. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The last advertisement for assistant teachers' recruitment in primary schools was issued in 2018. Pointing out that the merger goes against campaigns such as School Chalo Abhiyan, which aim to boost enrolment, Noida Teachers Association president Praveen Sharma said, "Many students have already stopped going to school after these mergers because the distance has increased. How can we expect class 1 and 2 children to walk 4-5 km daily? Moreover, in the past few years, teachers have been conducting door-to-door surveys to enrol these kids, encouraging their parents. Rather than increasing the number of schools and recruiting more teachers, the govt is reducing the schools count, which is a bad step." Parents also expressed frustration after finding their children's schools shut following summer vacations. "We were shocked to see the school gates locked. My kids were left standing outside. They can't travel several kilometres every day," said Jayveer Singh, a parent from Kheda Dujana village Teachers also said that the decision could push dropout rates higher, particularly among girls. "These schools are like second homes for children. Forcing them to shift to distant schools disrupts their comfort and learning," said another teacher. In Noida, 72 such schools have been merged, while in Ghaziabad, 60 schools are listed to be merged. "The schools are paired as per state order. The existing buildings will be converted into Bal Vatikas (playschools)," said Rahul Panwar, BSA, Noida.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Alld HC junks pleas against move to pair govt schools
Lucknow: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court on Monday upheld the decision of the state govt to pair primary and upper primary schools, which have less than 50 students, with nearby institutions. The court said that the state govt is bound to ensure that no child is left out because of any action taken by it. Pronouncing the verdict reserved on July 4, 2025, the bench of Justice Pankaj Bhatia dismissed two separate writ petitions filed by Krishna Kumari and others. The petitioners had demanded the cancellation of the state govt's June 16 order in this connection. The petitioners had pleaded that the govt decision would deprive children, aged 6 to 14, from getting education in their neighbourhood which would be a violation of Article 21A of the Constitution of India. Opposing the pleas, additional advocate general Anuj Kudesia, assisted by chief standing counsel SK Singh and Sandeep Dixit, counsel for director, basic education, said that the schools would not be merged but 'paired' to improve the quality of education. They added that the impugned govt order was passed in a perfectly legal manner. Passing the judgment, the bench observed, "On a complete analysis of Rule 4(1), Rule 4(2) and Rule 4(3) read conjointly of the Right to Education Act, it is clear that the state government is bound to establish school on the nearest possible place from a habitation and in the absence thereof, it is obliged to ensure transportation facilities etc., by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo and in conjunction thereof identifying the neighbourhood schools, whether they are government schools or otherwise. " Considering the Nation Education Policy, 2020, framed by the central govt, the bench said, "The policy is laudable, and prescriptions have been given with regard to the steps to be taken to ensure that education is imparted at the initial level to all the citizens and the children of the country. There being no material to the contrary in respect of guidelines of pairing in the 2020 policy, which can be said to be arbitrary or in violation of Article 21A of the Constitution and finding the Government Order of June 16 to be in furtherance of the said objective, no interference is called for. " BOX Structural reform through pairing of schools will revitalise edu: Govt Times News Network Lucknow: The state govt's initiative to pair schools is a transformative structural reform aimed at revitalising the basic education system in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, a govt spokesperson said. "This move addresses the deep-rooted challenge of thousands of small, under-enrolled schools that historically led to isolation for teachers and students, reduced peer learning opportunities, and weakened school governance," he said. According to education department's officials, under the pairing model, low-enrolment schools will be converted into Bal Vatika centres, in line with the emphasis of NEP 2020 on early childhood education. Larger 'host' schools will receive students from 'guest' schools, enabling more structured academic routines, dedicated subject instruction, and access to better infrastructure. "The initiative prioritises holistic development through team-based learning, project work, and integration of sports and digital tools to nurture 21st century skills," an official said.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
HC reserves verdict on pleas against UP govt's move to pair schools
The Allahabad High Court on Friday concluded hearing on pleas challenging the Uttar Pradesh government's decision to pair primary and upper primary schools with fewer than 50 students with nearby institutions, but reserved its verdict. A bench of Justice Pankaj Bhatia reserved the order on two separate petitions filed by Krishna Kumari and others, who are seeking the cancellation of the state government's June 16 order. The petitioners' counsel, LP Mishra and Gaurav Mehrotra, argued that the state government's action violates Article 21A of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to education for children aged between six and 14 years. They contended that the implementation of the decision would deprive children of their right to education in their neighbourhood. The government should instead focus on improving the standard of schools to attract more students, the petitioners said. It was argued by the petitioners that the government has chosen the "easier way" of closing these schools, rather than working towards public welfare, overriding economic gains or losses. However, Additional Advocate General Anuj Kudesia, Chief Standing Counsel Shailendra Singh, and Senior Advocate Sandeep Dixit, representing the director of basic education, argued the government's decision was made according to rules and is free from flaws or illegalities. They stated that many schools have very few, or even no students and clarified that the government has not "merged" the schools but "paired" them, assuring that no primary schools are closed. During the hearing, Kudesia requested the court to ban reporting on the case, claiming that the ongoing coverage was "tarnishing the image of government lawyers." However, Justice Bhatia rejected this demand, stating that while the government could frame a law to that effect if it wished, the court would not issue such an order. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Time of India
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
HC reserves verdict on pleas against merger of schools
Lucknow: The Lucknow bench of Allahabad HC on Friday reserved its verdict after completing the hearing on the pleas challenging the merger of primary schools in the state. A bench of Justice Pankaj Bhatia passed the order on two separate petitions filed by Krishna Kumari and others. The petitioners have demanded the cancellation of the state govt's order of June 16 regarding the merger. The petitioners' counsel L P Mishra and Gaurav Mehrotra had stressed that the state govt's action was in violation of the right to education given to children between 6 and 14 years under Article 21A of the Constitution because it would deprive them of the right to education in their neighbourhood . It was said that if the number of students in a school is low, the govt should try to improve the level of the school so that more children get enrolled. It was said that instead of doing this, the state govt found an easier way to close those schools by merger or some other means. It was argued that the Constitution of India expects the govt to work like a welfare state in which the welfare of the people should be kept in mind more than economic gain and loss. On the other hand, additional advocate general Anuj Kudesia and chief standing counsel Shailendra Singh as well as senior advocate Sandeep Dixit, appearing on behalf of director of basic education, argued that the govt has taken the decision as per the rules and there is no flaw and illegality in it. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Unbelievable: Calculator Shows The Value Of Your House Instantly (Take a Look) Home Value Calculator Search Now Undo by Taboola by Taboola It was said that there are many schools which do not have even a single student. It was also argued that the govt has not done any merger, but only schools have been paired. It was also said that the primary schools which have been paired are not being closed. In course of hearing, Kudesia repeatedly demanded from the court to ban the reporting of this case. It was said that the entire proceedings of this case are being reported, which is tarnishing the image of govt lawyers. However, Justice Bhatia outrightly rejected this demand and said that the govt, if it wants, may frame law but the court would not do this.
The Hindu
04-07-2025
- The Hindu
Father-daughter duo's free app helps students master arithmetic skills
Dr. Thomas Joseph, a former associate professor at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Udaipur, and his daughter, Emy Ottaplackal, an MBA graduate from IIM Kozhikode, are on a mission to help students with MyLQ, a free-of-cost learning programme for economically disadvantaged children. Ms. Ottaplackal developed MyLQ in 2022 based on her training for the Common Admission Test (CAT). 'We found that arithmetic skills were the key to cracking competitive examinations like the CAT,' she said. Consequently, she started MyLQ, an online tool to help students master the arithmetic skills required in schools and competitive exams. Dr Joseph joined her, helping to start programmes across India. This year, they decided to redouble their efforts within Kozhikode. After discussions with Mayor Beena Philip and Krishna Kumari, the Town Planning Standing Committee Chair, MyLQ's trial run was launched in February. Three schools from Ms. Krishna Kumari's Naduvattam division participated in the trial. The Naduvattam councillor said that the programme was free of cost for government schools and that she was pleasantly surprised by its reception. She said, 'Since it's similar to a mobile game, the students took a liking to it and their speed has improved.' Sidharth K., a Class V student at Govinda Vilas Aided Lower Primary School, said that he liked the arithmetic programme. 'I can solve problems faster now,' he said. His classmate, Safdar Hegal M.K., agreed, saying, 'Now, I can do around 15 addition sums in 10 minutes.' Both students said that they did not find practising tedious. Ms. Krishnakumari said that she would be taking feedback from teachers in July to see how the progress had translated into the classrooms. The trial run comprised a total of 11 schools under the Kozhikode Municipal Corporation and recorded an average of 211% improvement in single-digit addition among 1,775 users. Dr. Joseph hoped that government schools would adopt MyLQ to their arsenal of teaching tools. 'Our goal is 100% numeracy,' said Dr Joseph. The duo hopes to implement MyLQ in more schools in the coming years as part of their project dubbed 'Ganitha Nagaram' (City of Arithmetic). Earlier this year, the State Cabinet upgraded the Kerala School of Mathematics, Kunnamangalam, as a Centre of Excellence in a move expected to expand the institute's research programmes. As the Kozhikode Corporation unveils new projects as part of its City of Literature tag, these initiatives show that mathematics has not been relegated to the back bench.
