Schools across the country have been instructed to screen a live telecast of a speech to be given by prime minister Narendra Modi on September 5, the eve of 'Teacher's Day'. However, while the prime minister's efforts to connect to the country's children is commendable, it is a little ill-timed, as most students and teachers of Maharashtra's schools are on Ganeshotsav vacation.
With the exercise having been made compulsory, be it via television, internet, projector or radio, school authorities are a worried lot since they believe the telecast cannot be organised at such short notice since it is vacation time. Many schools said they had not yet received instructions from the education department on what is to be done.
The state government had issued a circular regarding the telecast (between from 3 pm to 4.45 pm) on August 28. Once the screening is over, all schools need to revert to the education department regarding the total number of students in the school, and the number that attended the program.
Principal Prashant Redij, spokesperson, Maharashtra Principal's Association, said, "We welcome the idea of screening the PM's speech for all students. But the state government has not yet sent the circular to schools. How are principals going to hold this program? Most schools have two shifts, morning and afternoon. It is highly impossible to bring them together to show the speech."
Amol Dhamdhere, vice president of the Indian Education Society, said, "The state government should come up with such circulars before the academic year. They suddenly declare such decisions, which becomes impossible to implement. Our schools have holidays on the occasion of the Ganesh festival till 9 September. Even teachers have gone to their villages. It will be better if they see his speech from wherever they are."
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}