Nagpur News: The all important Right to Education (RTE) scheme, proving a boon for poor and backward class students for gaining a high-quality education but turning a “bane” for teachers. Now, the teachers are facing a sort of challenge to evaluate students of class I to class VIII socially and psychologically. And above all development of personality of the poor and backward class students apart from difficulties related to subjects.
The parents, generally are found, blaming concerned teachers and managements of schools when the students pass Standard I with good marks but fail or pass with poor marks in Standard II. Even the parents could knock the doors of judiciary. The RTI rules have increased the responsibility of teachers towards the students. Now, the teachers just can’t leave the weak students on their fate. They have to strive hard to bring the weak students in the main stream. And for this task, the school managements have to be very careful during evaluation of students.
LESS NUMBER OF STUDENTS: The number of teachers in comparison with students is very less. Even the Government has directed to increase number of classes but the implementation of the directive is not possible. Moreover, hundreds of teachers are deployed in other Government duties like Census, preparing voters’ lists, pulse polio vaccination drives apart from more and more attention towards students with extra time. But the students are also not psychologically ready to spend extra time in the classes. Government talks of high-quality education to the students but selectively hesitate to raise standard of teachers, and, number, too.
MAJOR GAP BETWEEN TEACHERS AND STUDENTS: The Government has made teachers totally helpless by bringing more and more rules and regulations in favour of students. Now, teachers can’t dangle sticks or shout or punish the brats (mischievous students). The result is no fear of teachers for the students. Some students ever resort to insulting teachers, and immediately call their parents if the teachers react angrily. This phenomenon has distanced teachers from the students creating a major gap thus hitting the education hard.
SCHOOL SYLLABUS HAS BECOME A FORMALITY: In the syllabuses of all the schools in Maharashtra a subject of morality has been added to the syllabuses. But at present it has become a formality. The aim of inclusion of the morality subject in the syllabuses was to increase moral values and self-confidence of students. During the tenure of Chief Minister Manohar Joshi, the school syllabuses from Class V to Class IX were included with “Prarthana Sabhas” (Prayer Session) for 20 minutes mandatory. The 20 minutes were devoted for prayers, national anthem, pledges, inspirational tales, thoughts, reading of headlines from newspapers. The aim through this medium was to enthuse students with moral values as well as update of essential developments.
SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE: The main focus of Local Enquiry Committees of schools through State Board is on the roles of parents and students. However, according to opinions of school managements, in the meetings organized by the schools the roles of parents lack the expectations. The students in Government and aided schools generally belong to poor and middle class families. Such parents can’t pay attention to studies of their wards. All schools have their own School Development Committees which include Corporators, Principals, Deputy Principals, Teachers, Parents, Students, SC-ST Members. The Committees should have 33 per cent women. However, in the meetings of Committees, several personalities remain absent. This phenomenon turns the Committees helpless in carving out strategies for overall development on all the fronts. This is reflected poor situations in many schools though Government claims of strengthening primary, secondary and higher secondary schools in the state. But the claims are hollow could be ascertained from the ground realities.
