No remedial classes for weak students during winter break

Tribune News Service
Shimla/Solan, December 31

Buckling under pressure from teachers of winter-closing schools, the Director of Higher Education today withdrew the instructions issued 15 days ago that made it mandatory for teachers to take remedial classes during vacation of students who did not perform well in the pre-board examination.

As the vacation begins from January 1, there was no time left to inform the teachers concerned. So, the Director of Higher Education telephonically conveyed the revised notification to the Deputy Directors, asking them to inform the headmasters and principals of high and senior secondary schools.

The Himachal Government Teachers’ Union had opposed the decision, saying if they were forced to work during the break, compensatory or extra earned leave be credited to their account.

Union president Virender Chauhan said if extra earned leave was given, teachers would avail the leave at their convenience, disturbing the teaching schedule and students would suffer.

Further, the instructions were issued without mentioning the heating and other arrangements to be made for the students and teachers. The schools in middle and higher hills and cold zone are closed during winter as it is difficult to attend classes due to extreme cold conditions.

The union thanked the government for reversing the decision and said winter and summer break was an old tradition and teachers could not be forced to work during these days.

Pradeep Sharma, senior vice-president, of the HP School Lecturers’ Association, said teachers could now enjoy the holidays as there would be no classes during the winter break.

Narinder Sharma, a former association member, said: “The move to improve board results is welcome but the authorities should consider all aspects while devising a schedule for remedial tests in winter-closing schools.”

With 182 government schools in the state exhibiting less than 25 per cent result in board examinations of Class X and XII, the Education Department was desperate to improve its results and a slew of measures like conduct of pre-boards had been introduced to improve their performance upto 80 per cent.

With poor results plaguing the pre-board exams, a plethora of other measures like taking subject-wise remedial tests have also been suggested in the school level strategy to be adopted from January 1 to mid-February. All schools are supposed to upload the weekly progress taken to prepare the students for board exams on a designated portal. While the strategy was workable for the summer closing schools, it was resented in the winter closing schools which observe holidays from January to mid-February.