School teachers oppose govt move
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, March 31
The Punjab Government, through a notification on October 28, 2002, had decided to start two types of schools in the state under the new education policy. The state has four types of schools at present. Implementing its notification the government had decided to merge the present primary and middle schools to form the elementary schools. Now there would be elementary schools from class I to class VIII and secondary schools from class IX to class XII, while earlier there were primary, middle, high and senior secondary schools. These instruction were issued up to March 31, 2003. A further decision was to be taken before March 31 and was to be implemented from April 1, 2003, by which the middle classes of high and senior secondary schools were to separated and attached with the primary school of the village or ward of the city.

All teacher unions of the state are opposing this policy as it is against the interests of the teachers, especially the primary teachers. The government has failed to issue the second notification which was to be introduced from April 1, 2003. Due to to this uncertainty prevails in the state and the Education department while new academic year is about to start.

Mr Piara Singh Dhillon, president and Mr Baldev Krishan Moudgill, president and general secretary, Government Primary Teachers Association, Punjab, said that the association had postponed its agitation as it had received an invitation from the Education department to sort out their problems. 

PAU don retires
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 31
Dr Surjan Singh, Senior Vegetable Breeder and former Head of the Department of Vegetable Crops, Punjab Agricultural University, retired here today after rendering meritorious service for about 38 years.

As per a PAU communique, Dr Surjan Singh had a brilliant academic record and he served the university from August 1965 onwards in various capacities. He is associated with the development and release of 13 varieties of tomato, muskmelon, onion and cowpeas. Most of these varieties have been recommended at the national level. Some of the tomato and muskmelon varieties have won recognition at international level.

Dr Surjan Singh guided nine M.Sc and seven Ph.D students as a major adviser and served on the advisory committees of more than 100 students belonging to the departments of vegetable crops, floriculture and landscaping, entomology, extension education and food science and technology.

In recognition of his outstanding contributions, he was awarded a plaque by the PAU and the Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Award by the ICAR. The Indian Society of Vegetable Science conferred fellowship on him in recognition of outstanding contributions in research, teaching and promotion of the discipline of vegetable science.

He published more than 75 research papers in journals of international and national repute, co-authored one book, three research bulletins and two extension bulletins in addition to several popular articles. 

Orientation course for teachers
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, March 31
A national orientation course for teachers teaching in regular schools to facilitate integration of the visually-impaired children, being conducted by the Vocational Rehabilitation Training Centre for Blind/Disabled, Haibowal Road, opposite Kitchlu Nagar, here in collaboration with the National Institute for the Visually Handicapped Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, started today.

According to Dr E.M. Johnson, Director of the Institute, this course for teachers serving in regular school is for facilitating the inclusion of visually impaired children the mainstream education. The programme aims sensitising the teachers in the regular schools about integration of these children and acquainting them with the additional inputs required for integrating children with visual impairments.

The teachers will get an opportunity to gauge the educational potential of the children required for attitudinal changes in them. Thirty teachers are participating in the course, which will conclude in one week. Some of the topics covered in this course are ‘Concept of integration and inclusive education’, ‘Difference between integration and inclusive education for disabled’, ‘Identification of visually impaired children functional assessment,’ ‘Psycho-social implications of visually impaired’, ‘Role and responsibility of regular school teachers with reference to visually impaired children in integrated setup’ and ‘Classroom adaptation and resource room management’.