The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

EDUCATION

Govt teachers’ protest on April 19
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, April 14
The Government Teachers Union, (GTU), Punjab has condemned statement of the Punjab Chief Minister according to which 2000 government schools will be handed over to corporates.

Charan Singh Sarabha, general secretary, of the union, stated in a press note that the step would deprive lakhs of students especially girls of poor and middle class families, from the basic education as they would not be able to pay higher charges of these schools.

Moreover, these industrial houses would grab the priced properties of these schools and earn profits. On the one hand, the Chief Minister was pretending helplessness in appointing teachers against 30,000 vacant posts in government schools due to financial constraints, on the other hand, the government had given more than Rs 600 crore as subsidies to these industrial houses last year.

Mr Sarabha further stressed that the policy of the government was destortion from the 1968- National Education Policy, according to which common school system was the central point of education. This decision was also the opposite of suggestion of various educational experts, including Mr S.S. Johal.

Mr Sarabha would matter of human development. Massive protest marches will be held on April 19. On all district headquarters by teachers and other employees.

Samrala: The Punjab Government’s move to hand over the administration of 2,000 government schools to private bodies has been criticised by teachers’ unions.

In a press note here, Mr Ranbir Dhillon of the Punjab Subordinate Services Federation, and Mr Sital Singh, Mr Avtar Singh Gill and Mr Behari Lal Saddi of Government Secondary School Teachers Union have warned the government against such adventurism in the field of education.

They said 28,000 posts of teacher were lying vacant for the past many years.

The leaders criticised Mr Surinder Singla, Finance Minister of Punjab, for his “biased thinking” regarding schoolteachers and employees of government schools. Schoolteachers in Punjab will wear black badges on April 19 as a mark of protest.

Fee hike: ABVP to hold rally
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, April 14
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has condemned the Punjab Government for the fee hike. It would be now four times more than the present fee structure.

This immense hike would affect thousands of the students from receiving education. The ABVP would protest against this move of the government, on April 18, said Joint Secretary, state unit, ABVP, Rajat Sood. The ABVP would hold a gate rally outside the Industrial Training Institute, Ludhiana, Gill Road. He further said that they would raise the issue at the state level also. It also condemned the privatising the ITI institutes.

The demands of the ABVP included that the technical education ministry should immediately withdraw the proposed fee hike structure, trades like surveyors, book binders, farm mechanic, tractor mechanic, moulder, electroplating , industrial painter etc, should be reopened.

They also demanded that necessary staff must be provided to the students and new appointments of the teachers be made in all institutes.

Also necessary raw material to the different trades must be provided in proper quantity and at proper time.

Proper facilities and infrastructure should also be there in the ITI college.

Mr Harsh Sharma, city Secretary said that if these demands were not accepted then the ABVP would start a student movement in the state. And demonstrations would be held in the different colleges of the Punjab.

From Schools
Baisakhi celebrated at MGM school
Our Correspondent

Students of Spring Dale Senior Secondary School, Ludhiana, in colourful traditional costumes on the occasion of Baisakhi. — Photo by Inderjit Verma

Ludhiana, April 14
Baisakhi was celebrated at MGM Public School here today. Students created scenes like harvesting, incident of Jallianwala Bagh and establishment of Khalsa on the occasion.

The chief guest were Dr Maninder Singh and Mr Peter from Australia. The function started with the prayer “Teri hai zameen”. The students were encouraged by the Director of the school, Mr G.S. Thind. All students were wearing yellow and orange dresses as a mark of Baisakhi.

Alpine School: A colourful programme was presented by students of Alpine International Senior Secondary School here on Thursday to celebrate Baisakhi.The function started with a dance number by Harnavveer Singh & party on the song ‘Teri kanak di rakhi’. It was followed by Rangla Punjab. Ms Disha of Class XII presented a classical dance and Namrata Makkar of class XII performed bhangra on “Dhol Jagiro da”. The principal, Ms Rajeshwari Dhir, greeted the students and advised them to balance the academics and co-curricular activities.

School inaugurated: Cherry Lane Play School was inaugurated on Wednesday. The school is a conceptual playway and the first school with ISO 9001-2000 certificate in the city . The inaugural day was made special by the presence of all esteemed figures.

The galaxy room at the school depicts four seasons and unique planets in a playful manner, followed by the jungle room showing different animals in and around us. The most attractive feature of the school is the ‘aeroplane classroom’ constructed in the shape of an aeroplane.

Prize distribution function: A prize distribution function and a fancy dress competition were organised at Kundan Vidya Mandir, Civil Lines, Ludhiana, on Thursday. The chief guest, Mr S.C. Saxena, was accorded a floral welcome.

Students were awarded prizes in different literary and co-curricular activities. The activities included poem recitation, art and craft, story writing, calligraphy among others.

Rajan Sharma of class VIII was awarded the first prize in Hindi poem recitation contest while Yashika Bansal of the same class was awarded the second prize in Hindi story writing.

Students who had 100 per cent attendance were also honoured by the chief guest. More than 190 students were honoured on the occasion.

The fancy dress contest was organised by the Junior Humanities Forum. Students from the six houses participated presenting themselves in innovative dresses. Rishi Roy of class VII was dressed as “padosan ke guru ji” and was highly applauded.

The judges for the contest were Dr Mandeep Basra and Ms Vidhu Mehra. The results are as follows: Rishi Roy as padosan ke guru ji 1, Bharat Bagga as leader in the twilight of his life 2, Nikhita Jain as Ujada Kashmir 3.

Health check-up: A health check-up of students was conducted at Kidzee Rainbow School here on Thursday. Dr Lilly Walia of the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital measured the height and recorded the weight of the children. She also taught them the importance of cleanliness and dental hygiene.

SPORTS

Cricket trials for u-17 boys
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, April 14
Trials to select the boys (u-17 years) will be held by the Ludhiana District Cricket Association (LDCA) here at the Arya College grounds on April 17 at 9 am. According to Mr Pawan Pandey, honorary secretary, LDCA, the players would also be selected to enroll these cricketers for the regional coaching centre being run under the age is of the Punjab Cricket Association here at the same venue.

Players born on or after September 1, 1988, are eligible for the trials. The selected players will represent Ludhiana in the forthcoming Punjab State Inter-District Cricket Tournament for the M L Markan Trophy.