Give priority to regular classes in Punjab: Democratic Teachers Front

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 2

Leaders of the Democratic Teachers Front, Punjab, have strongly criticised a letter issued by the state government, which states that due to the rising temperature, there will be holidays in all government schools from May 15 to June 30.

Online classes are not possible in Punjab. Most children are from poor families, who do not have access to expensive Android phones and Internet service. In such case educational institutions are working to make them permanent customers of the IT market. This will have far-reaching adverse consequences on students. Leaders, Democratic Teachers Front, Punjab

The government also instructed all schools to function from 7 am to 12.30 pm till May 14. Besides, schools have been asked to hold online classes from May 16 to 31.

Gurbachan Singh and Harpinder Shahi, block president, Khanna 1 and 2, respectively, and Paramjit Verma and Gurpreet Mahi, block secretary Khanna 1 and 2, respectively, jointly stated that the Mann government, which had promised major reforms in the field of education, had now taken an easy path and opted shortcuts to deal with the present situation.

The government was stopping regular classes and unnecessarily increasing school holidays, they added.

Like the previous government, the present government was forgetting that the online mode of education was not an alternative to physical classes, they said.

Gurbachan said the government should give priority to regular classes, ensure uninterrupted electricity supply and weather-appropriate infrastructure in schools instead of closing educational institutions citing power crisis and heat wave.

Meanwhile, state president Dig Vijay Pal Sharma, state vice-president Karnail Singh Chitti and state secretary Sarwan Singh Aujla, along with district secretary Daljit Samrala, of the teachers’ front said that the recent letter was uncalled for.

“In the past, schools were closed due to pandemic induced lockdown for a long time. Efforts made to impart education through online classes have proved useless. This had an adverse impact on reading interests of children. Now again, by reducing regular classes, studies will be hit badly,” they said.

“Online classes are not possible in Punjab. Most children are from poor families, who do not have access to expensive Android phones and internet service. In such case educational institutions are working to make them permanent customers of the IT market. This will have far-reaching adverse consequences on students,” they added.

They also feared that the Punjab Government was working on the hidden financial agenda of deducting mobile allowances of teachers citing holidays like the previous ruling dispensations. They said if this happened then the teachers’ front would be forced to take the path of agitation.

Teachers demanded that the government withdraw its order, start summer vacation from June 1 and fix school hours from 8 am to 12:30 pm in May keeping in view the interest of the children.

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