‘No-satchel’ scheme fails
Deepkamal Kaur

Ludhiana, June 2
The proposal of following ‘‘no-satchel’’ scheme put forth by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for children of kindergarten and primary classes has failed to click in city schools.

Just two city schools had pursued the idea and these too now believe that the exercise rather proved to be a major headache for them. The authorities of these schools said that neither the teachers nor the parents felt satisfied with the system that was followed for almost half a year. They said that they were now planning to switch back to the previous system as it was being felt that carrying bags to school was very essential.

The principals said that the parents had been repeatedly visiting them insisting that the ‘no schoolbag’ system be withdrawn as that they wanted know about day-to-day performance of their wards in school. When the parents were assured that notebooks would be sent home after every fortnight, they did not even agreed to this, saying that it was affecting their child’s regularity in studying at home, they said.

Many teachers said that the system did not work as it was difficult to store all books and notebooks of children in the classroom. They said that at least 10 minutes were spent on distribution of the books or notebooks to every student at the start of the class and another 10 minutes were required to take them back. They said that this way they were losing at least 20 minutes in one period. They said that during parent-teachers’ meet, when any parent was told about their child’s bad performance, the parents instead blamed them for not sending the books and copies home daily.

The idea was brought out by Mr Ashok Ganguly, Chairman, CBSE, in a meeting with the principals of local schools held here last year. The system was currently being followed by Kundan Vidya Mandir and Sanatan Vidya Mandir schools.

Ms Sadhna Sharma, Principal of Sanatan Vidya Mandir, said that initially it had been very difficult to convince parents to send their children without a schoolbag. She said that parents were so habitual of checking their children’s bag after the school that were finding it difficult to adjust to the new system. She said that not only the parents, even the children had started saying that they felt quite bored at home without school books. She said that there was so much pressure that she had now finally decided to revive the previous system.

The principals, however, said that they would make sure that bags were light and children did not carry extra books or notebooks to the school. Mr R.S. Patial, Principal of DAV Public School, said that it was not practically possible to do without schoolbags but he said that he had thought of a number of ways to lighten the burden of children. He said that he had directed all mathematics teachers of his school not to tell any child to bring their books.

Besides, he said that he had also advised all his teachers not to ask their children to get books and copies on the day they were supposed to get their workbooks. Mr Patial said that this system was being made to work so strictly that he had even told his teachers to check the bags of children for any extra books.

Ms Paramjit Kaur, Principal of BCM Arya Model Senior Secondary School, was also of the same opinion as she said that it was difficult to manage without schoolbags as children were supposed to carry at least their tiffins, diaries, dictionaries and notebooks with them. For nursery, she said that she had recommended just one book.

COURTS

DBA functioning in thick of controversy
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, June 2
The functioning of the District Bar Association has come under a cloud following differences between the president and joint secretary. Mr Kapoor has condemned the role of the president for allegedly raising issues at DBA meetings not concerned with the Bar. He said that Mr Dhanda is president of the DBA and not president of the Bhartiya Vidya Mandir school managing committee.

“Instead of solving the issues of the Bar, Mr Dhanda indulged into matters not concerning the Bar, whether is was a DMCH case or controversy of BVM school, to gain popularity’’, said Mr Sandeep Kapoor, in a press release issued here today, which also bears the signatures of other advocates.

He said that in the next meeting of the general house, he will raise this issue and urge the general house to stop Mr Dhanda from making these kind of statements.

Refuting the charges Mr Dhanda says: “It is unfortunate that during my tenure as President, the DBA in its general house meeting had taken away the membership of a particular member who had been convicted by the Punjab and Haryana High Court for contempt of court, as he had used vulgar language against a lady judicial officer’’. Later his sentence was commuted by the Supreme Court after he tendered an un-conditional apology. He indirectly hinted towards the episode relating to the expulsion of the father of Sandeep Kapoor from the membership of the DBA. He further said that later on the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana High Court cancelled the licence of that advocate and his appeal against that cancellation had also been declined by the Bar Council of India. The decision regarding expulsion from the DBA was unanimously taken by the general house”.

Mr Dhanda said that he is also a citizen of city and has every right to raise his voice, if he finds something happening wrong. Talking about the BVM school controversy, he said that a memorandum signed by more than 100 advocates was submitted to the managing committee of the school and he was one of the signatories. “I signed the memorandum in my individual capacity”.