EDUCATION

Why drop joy out of the lives little ones?
By Akanksha Sharma
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 7 - Colts frisk, puppies gambol, little monkeys tumble and romp ... Mother Nature has programmed every little one to play. Human children too are gifted with joie de vivre and it's difficult to repress it. But parents, and schools try their best to drub joy out of little lives. They have to ... after all, modern life is all about the pressure of competition.

Preparing for competition means preparing for exams and that in turn in means homework ... lots of homework. Homework is so much that a kid barely gets time to play, even during summer break. Do the kids complain? Yes, but only in whispers.

Class XII student Neha Ummat has "no time for self-study., student of class XII opines that the pressure is more. We have no time for self studies.I never get a chance to plan my preparation schedule. I go to tuition morning and evening. By the end of the day I have no time at all, even to get tensed. We have tests and internal exams almost every day. One good thing... we have practical classes adjusted within the school time, so we don't have to spend extra time for that."

The self-study issue bugs Samvadin too. This Class X student of Sector 7 DAV School wants more time to concentrate on fundamentals. "Every child should get more time to plan his or her studies and implement it at home. This would increase our planning and decision skills." She suggests fixing the homework days for subjects to reduce the pressure; "I think homework should be of three subjects maximum." Until last year written homework was "a lot" but now the stress is more on learning " she says.

Manav Singal , a Class X student of St. John's, makes a distinction between "necessary" day-to-day homework and "useless" summer vacation homework... "especially the projects". He wants projects to be assigned according to the student's interests -- computers in his case. "I like homework because I can spend time working on it.said Manav

"Why should we have to do homework during the hols?" grumbles Sanika Khanna, Class VIII, Sacred Heart School. "Vacation should be a time to enjoy and learn about other things in life such as art or nature and the environment. Imagine! We are stuck with this big big circular; it's a whole page of items that we have to do. And don't forget we have tuition in summer too.".

Preeti, of Sacred Heart's Class V, is a very good girl and says sweetly "Whatever the teacher gives is fine." But then she confides that she get more than half an hour to play and "my friend Geeta is loaded with work, may be because she is in VIII class and gets lots of learning work too."

"Yesterday I did homework till 11 PM and had started doing it some where close to 4 PM," says Pooja who is just seven years old and a student in the Sector 7 DAV School's Class II. She says it takes so much time because "II have to learn." Her housewife mother is able to look after her daughter's studies and believes "the homework is not much and it is essential if you are to avoid sending your kid to tuition classes."

Ishani -- First Day First Class -- has a beautiful smile and appears completely unaffected by homework pressures. Her mom however is properly serious about it and talks about how "homework is a must to develop the habit of regular studies. Paying attention to homework eliminates the tuition class culture."

PU exams from April 15
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 7 —Examination for first year students in Panjab University post graduate classes will commence from April 15, official sources said here today.

The papers scheduled for the first day include English, Punjabi, German, Persian, Tamil, Ancient Indian History, Education, Gandhian and Peace Studies, Mathematics (Algebra) and Geography.Papers -I are scheduled for the first day.

The examination are scheduled for the afternoon session.

The last day for the first year examination is May 6. English (paper IV), Hindi (paper IV) and Physical Education (paper V) are scheduled for the last day.

Practical examination in subjects of Music (instrumental , vocal and tabla and dance) will be held before theory examination.

Distinction for student
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 7 - Krishna Dutt Pandey, a student of Class V of St. Stephen's School Chandigarh secured distinction grade in English (94 percentile) and a credit grade in science at all India basis in the international assessment of schools -1999, conducted by the University of New South Wales, Australia.

COURTS

Ll.B. compartment results submitted in court
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 7 — The results of the compartment supplementary exams of the Ll.B. course of Panjab University conducted in December, 1999, which remained undeclared for long were finally submitted in a city court, following the filing of a a civil suit against the PU officials concerned in this regard.

The results of two students — Ravinder Singh Jolly and Hriday Pal Singh — and those of some others, were declared by the university and later submitted in a sealed cover in the court of UT Civil Judge (junior division) Jasbir Singh.

Jolly and Hriday Pal had filed a civil suit here on April 3 against the Controller of Examination and Chairman, Law Department, seeking a direction to them to declare the results of reappear exam of plaintiffs as also those of others held in December, 1999, before announcing the date of annual exams.

The plaintiffs held that the normal practice is to announce the result of reappear exams in the second week of December so that they get time to prepare for the annual examination which are held in April and May. The plaintiffs stated that this time the university had not declared the said results even as it had announced the date of annual exams.

Appearing on behalf of the university, Dr Sodhi Rao, Controller of Exams, made a statement before the court that PU would declare the results and submit the same in the court. The results were submitted in the court of the Sub-Judge, Mr Jasbir Singh, yesterday.

Bhalla is new Sessions Judge
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 7 — Mr H.S. Bhalla, District Sessions Judge of Bathinda, will be the new Sessions Judge of Chandigarh.

The post had fallen vacant on March 31 following the retirement of Mr B.S. Bedi.

During the interregnum, Mr S.S. Lamba, seniormost Additional Sessions Judge, held charge of the post.

Although the high court has approved the transfer of Mr Bhalla at a full house meeting of judges, formal orders will be issued shortly.

Courier company penalised
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 7 — The State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission held a local courier company responsible for acting irresponsibly by not delivering a consignment at a given address. It directed the company to pay Rs 121 as compensation to the complainant, along with another Rs 200 as costs of litigation incurred by him.

The direction was given by the commission bench comprising its President, Mr Justice J.B. Garg, and members Dr P.K. Vasudeva and Ms Devinderjit Dhatt, on an appeal case filed against On Dot Courier and Cargo Company by Wg Cdr P.S.B. Sachdeva. Wg Cdr Sachdeva had appealed against an earlier order of the District Forum I which had dismissed the complaint on grounds that the complainant had not been careful enough in furnishing the address.

Objecting to the plea, the counsel for the appellant argued that the consignment had been delivered by post at the same address later on. He said if the courier man had taken his job seriously, the packet would have been delivered at the correct address.

The commission bench upheld the contention and said the company had been deficient in its service. The costs imposed were Rs 200 and the compensation ordered was Rs 121.

CULTURE

Violin concert on Sunday
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 7 — A feast awaits residents of Chandigarh at 7 p.m. on April, 9, at the open-air theatre in Rock Garden. A violin concert revealing the evolution of French music through the centuries is on the cards.

The event features four French musicians, Arnaud Crozatier, Quentin Hindley, Julien Gaben and Jacques Gandard. They will play the violin, violincelle and alto.

“The artists would explain by performing pieces of 12 composers or play a recording of their work, and portray the spectrum of French classical music,” says Daniel Riou, Director of Alliance Francaise de Chandigarh and event organiser.

The performance starts with a composition of 14th century monk-poet-composer Guillaume de Machaut, whose contribution to the field is also as establisher of musical principles. In Rameau’s compositions one can find all rules of modern harmony.

Free passes for the event are available at Alliance Francaise.