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Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Samastha proposes holiday cuts, shift change
Kozhikode: Samastha said it will present alternative proposals before general education minister V Sivankutty when he meets its representatives to discuss the ongoing controversy over revised school timings. Samastha will ask him to extend school hours till 4.30pm instead of starting classes 15 minutes earlier in the morning. Samastha is likely to argue that this would be a more practical adjustment. At present, under the revised schedule, schools function from 9.45am to 4.15pm with 15 more minutes added in the morning and evening sessions. Sources said that if this is not acceptable to the govt, Samastha will ask it to reduce the number of holidays granted for festivals or readjust the annual vacation to ensure that the mandatory 1100 academic working hours are met. Earlier, Sivankutty had contacted Samastha president Syed Jifri Muthukoya Thangal, expressing willingness to hold discussions. But he also made it clear that the govt will not change the new timings. But IUML questioned the purpose of the upcoming meeting with the minister saying that the govt's firm stand left no room for a dialogue. "What is the relevance of such a meeting when the minister has declared that there won't be a change in school timings," asked IUML state general secretary PMA Salam. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo On Tuesday, Samastha's joint coordination committee and its affiliated organizations had decided to intensify protests if the govt did not take a favourable action on its school timings demand. In June, govt had issued an order extending the timings of Classes VIII to X in govt, aided and unaided schools under the state syllabus by 15 minutes in morning and afternoon sessions, except Fridays. The change was incorporated to meet the target of 220 working days and ensure 1100 instructional hours as stipulated by the Right to Education Act and Kerala Education Rules.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
UP needs schools, not liquor shops: Sanjay Singh
Meerut, Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh on Wednesday accused the Uttar Pradesh government of jeopardising the future of underprivileged children by shutting down thousands of government schools across the state. UP needs schools, not liquor shops: Sanjay Singh Singh, the party's UP in-charge, led a protest march here from the Government Primary School in Gotka to Gagol, accompanied by local villagers, parents, and schoolchildren. "The state government is closing 27,000 schools while opening 27,308 liquor shops. UP doesn't need 'madhushalas' , it needs 'pathshalas' ," Singh, a and Rajya Sabha MP, said during the march. He termed the government's move as a reflection of an "anti-education mindset" and accused the government of betraying the dreams of Dr B R Ambedkar and violating the Right to Education Act. "By shutting down temples of education and promoting liquor sales, the government is sending a dangerous message to the youth and society," he said. Singh alleged that around two lakh teaching positions were lying vacant in the state — 1.93 lakh in primary schools, 3,872 in secondary schools, and 8,714 in senior secondary institutions. "The government neither has the plan to fill these vacancies nor any concrete policy for maintaining schools," he said. He said the per student annual education expenditure in UP stands at ₹9,167, lower than the national average of ₹12,768. "This gap clearly indicates that education is not a priority for this government," he said. Singh announced that the Aam Aadmi Party would launch a state-wide 'School Bachao Andolan' and take its agitation from the streets to the legislature. "If the government fails to reopen the closed schools and initiate recruitment of teachers, we will be compelled to launch a full-fledged statewide agitation," he warned. The UP government has decided to "pair" schools with low enrolment to pool resources, improve infrastructure, and align with the goals of the National Education Policy 2020. The policy, recently upheld by the Allahabad High Court, has set in motion the pairing of over 10,000 of the 1.3 lakh government-run primary schools across the state, officials estimate. The essence of the pairing exercise lies in merging schools with fewer than 50 students into nearby institutions to create a more robust This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
News18
a day ago
- News18
From Streets To Classrooms: Nagaland Issues Advisory To Enrol Child Beggars In Schools
Last Updated: The advisory calls for identifying children aged between 6-14 years, especially those seen begging or who have dropped out before completing their elementary education The Nagaland government has issued an advisory to identify underprivileged children, including those involved in begging, and enrol them in government schools. The Directorate of School Education issued the advisory following recommendations from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), which had earlier urged central and state governments to take concrete steps to protect and rehabilitate individuals involved in begging, including children. According to officials, the advisory calls for identifying out-of-school children aged between 6 and 14 years, especially those seen begging or who have dropped out before completing their elementary education. The advisory also includes children aged 3 to 6 years whose parents are engaged in begging and who are not enrolled in pre-schools, Anganwadi centres, or Balvatika programmes. Principal Director of School Education, Shashank Pratap Singh, has urged NGOs, municipal councils, village and town councils, churches, student unions, and the general public to assist in this effort. He appealed to them to report details of such children to the Child Helpline 1098, which will help with their enrolment into the nearest government schools. All District Education Officers (DEOs), Sub-Divisional Education Officers (SDEOs), and Senior SDEOs have been asked to work with District Child Protection Units and Child Welfare Committees to ensure the smooth admission of these children, in line with the Right to Education Act, 2009. The NHRC has stressed that despite several government schemes aimed at poverty relief, the issue of begging, especially involving children, continues across the country. According to the 2011 census, over 4.13 lakh people in India were recorded as beggars or vagrants, including children, women, the elderly, and transgender persons. (With inputs from agencies) view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
HC launches PIL over TOI report of 300 colleges sans any students, crores in salaries
1 2 Nagpur: The Nagpur bench of Bombay high court on Tuesday took suo motu cognisance of a Times of India report highlighting that over 300 junior colleges in Maharashtra continue to receive govt salary grants despite having no enrolled students, terming it a 'shocking revelation' and a 'wastage of public money'. The division bench of justices Nitin Sambre and Sachin Deshmukh initiated a PIL based on the TOI report of July 12, which exposed how teaching and non-teaching staff at hundreds of such colleges continues to draw govt-funded salaries despite zero student admissions. "The news item speaks of 300 colleges in Maharashtra getting grants towards the salary of the staff, however, not a single student has taken admission," the bench noted in its order. "The aforesaid shocking revelation… not only speaks of the wastage of public money but also the mismanagement of the educational institutions by the managements." The court underscored that if institutions are failing to attract students, statutory remedies are already in place. "In such a situation, the staff can be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of the Maharashtra Employees of Private Schools (Conditions of Service) Regulation Act, 1981, the Secondary School Code, and the Right to Education Act, 2009," the bench observed. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cách giao dịch ETH/USD mà không cần nắm giữ Ether IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo Referring to the issue as one of admitted concern at the govt level, the judges sought a detailed account of the situation and remedial steps initiated by the state. "We need to have the entire information before the court and the remedial measures taken by the state govt," the order stated. Appointing advocate Rahul Ghuge as amicus curiae, the bench asked him to frame a formal petition within two weeks. Senior advocate and govt pleader Deven Chauhan was directed to assist the amicus in the matter. The case will now be heard next on August 4. The court's action comes amid growing concern over systemic inefficiencies in grant-in-aid institutions, where ghost admissions and inflated staff rosters have repeatedly drawn scrutiny from auditors.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
High court disposes of writ petition against UP govt's decision to merge primary schools
1 2 Prayagraj: The Allahabad high court disposed of a writ petition challenging the Uttar Pradesh govt's order to merge small primary and upper primary schools with fewer than 50 enrolled students into larger nearby schools, saying that the matter has already been decided by the HC's Lucknow bench. Disposing of the writ petition filed by Shashi and four others, Justice Chandra Dhari Singh observed, "The order passed by the Lucknow bench on July 7 has been placed before this court. On perusal of the said order, it reflects that the controversy has already been settled by the Lucknow bench." "Taking into consideration the submissions made by the senior counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioners and the counsel appearing on behalf of the respondents, and the judgment and order passed by a coordinate bench of this court, the writ petition is disposed of," the court said in its order dated July 10. The Uttar Pradesh govt had on June 16 announced that it plans to merge small primary and upper primary schools with fewer than 50 students into larger nearby schools. This decision aims to improve education quality and optimise resource utilisation, citing issues of underutilisation and inefficiency in these small schools. However, the stand of the petitioners in the writ petition was that the merger violated the right to education (RTE) Act and could hinder children's access to education by forcing them to travel further to new schools. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo Besides, the decision could disproportionately affect girls and lead to increased dropout rates, added the writ petition. Pronouncing the verdict, the Lucknow bench had on July 7 said that the state govt is bound to ensure that no child is left out because of any action taken by it. It had 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 govt 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., and in conjunction thereof identifying the neighbourhood schools, whether they are government schools or otherwise. " Considering the National Education Policy 2020 framed by the central govt, the bench had said, "The policy in itself 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."
