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Onus
on teachers
I read Gunbir Singh’s article, “Empowering
children” (April 13). Good society is the end product of good
teachers imparting value-based education. Rote education must be discouraged and replaced with tools to unfold minds for cultivating and inculcating curiosity, learning, creativity, independent thinking and, above all, shaping one as a universal human being. Education
is not merely to make a living. According to Swami Vivekananda, “Be good, do
good” is the essence of good learning standards that were taught in our
past cultural ‘sanskars’ of the ‘Guru Shishya’ code. The writer has
rightly pointed out the falling standards, particularly in rural areas where
the panchayats should come forward to monitor teachers’ presence and
commitment to their profession. SIMI GANDHI, Amritsar
II
The article sums up the harsh reality. The teachers have failed to
motivate children to attend school. Though the Sarv Sikhsha Abhiyan, together
with the Mid-day Meal programme are laudable initiatives, due to lack of
motivation and commitment, the underprivileged are unable to reap the
benefit. If the state governments don’t change their attitude,
even the Right to Education Act, that seeks to ameliorate the
condition of the impoverished by giving free education for those between
six and 14 years of age, will fail to achieve the intended purpose. The government should pay attention to this vital aspect so that the children of today become good citizens of tomorrow. All vacancies should be filled promptly and supervisory control be tightened over teachers without bias. GURMIT
SINGH SAINI, SAS Nagar
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Premature retirement
The decision of Jasbir Singh Bir, IAS, to seek premature retirement on being
unable to provide relief to the ‘aam admi’ has put a big question mark on
the working of the SAD-BJP government. (news report, “Senior bureaucrat seeks
premature retirement” by Prabhjot Singh, April 14). It seems that bureaucrats
have no say and are puppets in the hands of politicians. I feel that the IAS
lobby should stand by him. If the owner of Orbit Bus Company, none other than
Badal family itself, is not ready to stop illegal parking of buses, what can be
expected for the welfare of the common man? It seems that the traditional and
political slogan raj nahi sewa (service not rule) of Punjab’s Chief Minister
Parkash Singh Badal has changed to sewa nahi raj (rule not service). MANA
FEROZEPURI, Ferozepur City
II
The premature retirement of senior bureaucrat Jasbir Singh Bir raises many questions. He wanted to save the people of SAS Nagar from inconvenience and noise pollution created due to parking of buses in a commercial-cum-residential area. However, he had to resign from his post at the fag end of his career. The Punjab Government should redress his grievances. Dr
RUPAKSHI BAGGA, Hoshiarpur
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