PANAJI, July 9, 2013 ‘RTE should be implemented for benefit of the child, not to become a burdens’ : The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Monday submitted a memorandum to the State Education Department taking exception to the unilateral decision of the Directorate of Education to extend the school timing by half an hour. The NCP reiterated its demand to roll back the extended school timing. NCP’s chief spokesperson Trajano D’Mello said on Monday that the academic year in Goa began on June 5 and all the stakeholders had prepared school calendars along with their daily routine, which have now gone topsy-turvy with the government’s decision to extend school timings a week later after the commencement of the school. Surprisingly the Directorate of Education did not think it necessary to take the stakeholders into confidence while extending school timings. This has caused a lot of problems not only to the school management but also to the faculty, students and parents, he said. The NCP was not opposed to the implementation of the Right to Education Act (RTE), but questioned the manner in which it was being implemented. The RTE Act should be implemented for the benefit of the child rather than being burdensome, Mr. D’Mello said. The Act lays down conditions to create specific infrastructure so that a conducive environment favourable to the child exists. It called for the creation of infrastructure first and then all other things could follow after deliberation and discussion with all the stakeholders. Mid-day meal On the issue of mid-day meals, the NCP said it had alerted the government ahead of the academic year, of unhygienic food being served and had appealed for precautionary measures before a major crisis could take place. Referring to the recent food poisoning incident at Canacona school, the NCP said fortunately it did not lead to major tragedy. The party demanded that unless and until proper hygienic conditions were put in place, the mid-day meal preparation should be suspended. It suggested that during the intervening period, glucose biscuits could be served as a substitute. The NCP, however, justified the government’s decision to extend teachers’ timings by two hours as there were preconditions in the RTE Act, e.g. teachers-student ration should be first met and other requirements before working hours can be extended. The NCP has demanded that the Directorate of Education immediately review the decisions pertaining to school timings.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Jul 2013 11:22:42 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015