Ludhiana: Increasing number of activities in schools amid staff crunch hampers classes say teachers’ union
The number of activities being introduced in the government schools on a daily basis has become troublesome for the teachers amid staff crunch.
The number of activities being introduced in the government schools on a daily basis has become troublesome for the teachers amid staff crunch.
Educators informed that there are days when they are required to make arrangements for more than two activities, along with regular classes, with no extra time allotted to conduct such activities.
The principal of one of the government schools, requesting anonymity, said, “The activities for which the circulars are given every other day, are ineffectual. When we are required to organise more than two or three activities in a day, it leaves us in a chaotic situation as we already have quite a limited teaching staff and a few of them also are given block level officer (BLO) duties, which leaves the staff and students frustrated.”
The principal added that for young children to flourish, they must learn the art of imagination but for the grown-ups, analytical and critical approach plays an important role, which cannot be taught through a single activity.
A class 9 student at a government school said that several activities have been hampering their studies. “Our regular classes are disturbed for the activities to take place. It is understood if it is once a week but almost every day, cutting down the hours from our regular classes will affect our performance,” he added.
Democratic Teachers Front (DTF) district president Daljit Singh said, “These activities kill time and as educators, we do not see any output. There must be an annual calendar where the activities, along with their targets and time within which they need to be conducted, must be mentioned so that we can prepare and manage the time beforehand, without hampering the regular classes,” he said. He added that there is no extra period for such activities to be conducted.
However, deputy district education officer (secondary) Jaswinder Singh Virk remarked, “These activities are a part of the studies only, which are meant for the overall development of the students. Teachers must manage the time.