EDUCATION

Where teachers are second parents
By Kanchan Vasdev
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, June 10 — "I am writing to share my feelings about my school and tell you what makes it 'a school with a difference'. I love going to school because it is a second home for me where the teachers and the principal act like our second parents." These are the lines from 'a letter to god' written by a ninth class student of Manav Mangal High School, in his school magazine.

The Principal, Mr Sanjay Sardana is proud of the students of his school. "A school is not known by what its managers say but by the achievements its students make," he says. The CBSE results speak for the competence of his school.

As many as 153 students appeared for the matriculation examination and all of them passed. The topper of the school Richa Garg scored 91% marks. Three students aggregated 90% and above and 34 students scored between 80% and 90%.

"Today, the teaching profession is very challenging. Gone are the days when students gave unconditional respect to their teachers. The parents are all the more demanding," asserts Mr Sardana.

"We strike a rapport with the students. I personally tell them that if they are not able to prove themselves in their studies or they do something wrong, I will not be annoyed but hurt. They work with all the dedication to not disappoint me," he adds.

The school started functioning way back in 1968. According to Mr Sardana, the students are treated in an expert way, a friendly relationship is formed with the parents and conducive environment is created for the staff members.

The parents of the Class X topper, Richa Garg, are exhilarated with the performance of their daughter. Her mother, Mrs Amit Abha, an employee in the State Bank of Patiala owes her daughter's success to the school. "The teachers here are very cooperative. Can you imagine a teacher allowing the students to ring up her home any time in case of a difficulty in this fast changing world? Even I was surprised when I saw my daughter talking to her teacher regarding a difficulty during the holidays," she said.

Her elder daughter, Vibha Garg also topped the school two years ago. "At my work place, I'm known as the mother of topper girls. It really brings a lot of satisfaction and happiness to me," adds she.

Mr R.A. Garg, Richa's father is an employee in Punjab Civil Secretariat. He has this to say,"I always wanted my children to top their schools. It was a dream come true for me. She was always regular in her studies and did very well in her exams."

"I gave my children an educational environment at home. I myself joined my job when I was just a matriculate. Afterwards, I kept studying and I hold three post-graduate degrees today."

"The pressures of the cut-throat competition are always mounting on the students. There are times when the children feel low as they are not able to cope up. My wife was always supportive during those times. She herself pulled Richa out of those times and encouraged her."

PUTA concern over grants
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, June 10 — The Panjab University Teachers Association has expressed its deep concern over apprehensions expressed by ‘responsible quarters’ that the grants of the Punjab and the UT Administration would be insufficient in meeting the salaries of university employees in the coming months.

Prof P. P. Arya, president, said that both governments should release their shares in the 60:40 ratio immediately. Delay in payment caused “ serious panic in the community and disturbs the teaching- learning environment’. The budget of the university could not be passed due to hindrances by “ bureaucrats of the two funding agencies”, Dr Harjinder Singh Laltu, secretary, said.

COURTS

Ranjit's remand extended
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, June 10 — The court of the Civil Judge (Jr Division)-cum-Judicial Magistrate 1st class, Mr Baljinder Singh, today remanded Ranjit Bajaj and others to judicial custody till June 24. Ranjit Bajaj was booked for the kidnapping of Sunny Garg, son of a city-based industrialist, on May 14.

He was also booked for possessing a forged arms license, using a forged registration plate on a car and having a forged sticker allowing use of filmscreen and red light on a car.

Ranjit Bajaj, son of a Punjab-cadre IAS officer, Mr B. R. Bajaj, had surrendered to the police on May 24.

Meanwhile, the Civil Judge (Jr Division)-cum-Judicial Magistratre Ist Class, Mr Baljinder Singh, today remanded Jagtinder Singh, alias Bagga, Ranvir Singh and Surjit Singh to judicial custody till May 23.

The three had been booked for allegedly assaulting Ranjit Bajaj on April 19 with sharp-edged weapons, injuring him seriously.

They were arrested by the city police on May 24 from Delhi.

CULTURE

Kids stage the highwayman
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, June 10 —A brief but cute performance on dramatising of the renowned poem “The Highwayman” by Alfred Noyes at the Durga Das Foundation today showed the impact of theatre in weaning away children from pranks during holidays.

Vikram Kapadia started the workshop with an aim to open up closed minds and hearts. The daily progress saw a possibility of staging the script . The legendary poem did see an appreciable hard work for a decent show today.

Vikram’s journey into the children’s world has no intentions to make them conscious of serious artistic components of theatre. It is an merely exercise to make them see things around and enjoy the exercise, Mr Atul Khanna, director of the foundation said. Played as joyful pranks, children realise that the work needed serious involvement. The transformation is natural and not a ‘ forced one’.

The director feels that vacations meant a playful time. Theatre was employed as an instrument of enjoyment and unforced learning.

The story of the highwayman oft heard even since school days has the potential of better understanding and with an invisible potential to be taught playfully, the show revealed. The sounds in particular, besides concentration on tone of sounds definitely need a mention. This workshop was for the 7-12 age category.

Also worth mentioning is the exhibition of art forms of nearly 100 students in the age group of 4 to 6 years. Works of all participants were put on show, much to the delight of students and also parents.

Imprints of colours by hand, masks and bags were some of the pieces on exhibition.