M A I L B A G

B.Ed teachers for primary schools

Recently, Dr T.R. Sharma, education expert, has commented that the appointment of B.Ed graduates as teachers in primary schools is “illogical and against the pedagogical principles”. Graduates trained for primary schools are not an uncommon educational phenomenon in the world. After giving them necessary orientation, our convents and reputed public schools entrust B.Eds with elementary classes.

While a drastically reformed comprehensive B.Ed programme, properly executed by competent teacher-educators, can meet the requirements of both elementary and secondary schools, an independent B.Ed courses designed for primary school teachers should not be a remote possibility.

The contention that the B.Eds will find themselves “underemployed” in primary schools is untenable. A teacher’s job does not end with the imparting of 3 R’s. If the aim of education is the all-round development of children, he has enough work to do. As for the Central aid, it will come forth whether students for teacher training are enrolled after their Plus Two or graduation.

SHALINI MANGAL, Patiala

Assess their worth

In India, women participate in each and every sphere of life like men. Women like Indira Gandhi, Sunita Williams and Kalpana Chawla have made their mark in the world, but the desire to have a male child is so intense in India that it has resulted in tremendous increase in population.

It is an irony that the country where Durga, Laxmi and Saraswati are worshipped, a girl is killed before her birth because she is unwanted. The skewed sex ratio should be a matter of concern for every Indian. It is quite a shameful fact that most parents kill their daughters without giving them a chance to prove themselves and without realising their worth.

JASPREET K. PAHWA, Ludhiana

Computer teachers

The Punjab government has announced to fill the posts of computer teacher. There should be a different pattern for the recruitment. In my opinion, it should be based on merit and a B.Ed degree with teaching of computer along with a regular three-year degree in computer subjects should be made compulsory.

As we have seen in earlier recruitments, the candidates possessing only one year course from some centres have been recruited where the study is only for two hours in a day. Computer education should be based on quality, not on quantity.

SANTOSH GOYAL, Faridkot

RTI fee hike unjustified The Chandigarh UT Administration’s decision to hike the Right to Information fee from Rs 10 to Rs 50 is unfair and unjustified. It is simply following the Haryana Government. The UT Administration would do well to follow the rules of the Central Government (where the RTI fee for every application continues to be Rs 10). Suffice it to mention that Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah, while addressing a seminar organised by New Delhi’s Press Club recently, welcomed the Parliamentary Standing Committee’s suggestion to scrap even the normal fee of Rs 10. Hefty hike in the RTI fee will defeat the purpose of the legislation and hence should be rolled back. Of course, there is a strong case to reject frivolous complaints. Dr B.R. PARUTHI, Convener, Consumers’ Forum, Chandigarh

Befitting honour

It is heartening to note that Panjab University has conferred honorary D.Litt degree on Prof Pritam Singh. He has been the most revered Professor of Punjabi for hundreds of students settled in northern India and abroad. He is a well-known author and editor of reputed journals in both English and Punjabi.

I wish such recognition of Prof Singh should have been possible at least two decades earlier. Eminent teachers of Punjabi and meritorious authors of the language have largely been neglected by authorities during the recent past. Belated though, the recognition of Professor Pritam Singh’s most deserving status has won the applause of the academic community and countless admirers.

Prof WAZIR SINGH, New Delhi

Gifted editor

The editorial, “Russy ‘Blitz’ Karanjia” was timely (Feb 4). The late Karanjia was the most successful scribe, in fact, father of tabloid journalism in the country. The way he covered incognito the covert conference of the Chamber of Princes, as a reporter, speaks volumes for his ingenuity and temerity.

No doubt, he founded Blitz on the funds doled out by the British government, but the weekly soon turned into an anti-establishment tabloid. Karanjia has been perhaps the only scribe who was berated by the Lok Sabha Speaker for writing irreverently against Acharya Kripalani.

Karanjia’s continued tiff with D. F. Kareka, editor of the “Current” weekly, and the court cases filed by Chester Bowles and others against him made interesting stories. Otherwise too, he was an affable person who would listen to those who went to him. Karanjia had no particular ideology but he dished out scoops and exposed the misdeeds of the near and dear ones of the mighty politicians. Goddess Saraswati was exceptionally kind to him as his diction and style of writing was most felicitous.

CHAMAN LAL KORPAL, Amritsar