MLCs fired up over Govt schools

TNN / Mar 16, 2005, 23:41 IST

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LUCKNOW: The Vidhan Parishad witnessed heated exchanges between independent MLC Sunil Singh and teachers group over government-run schools.

<div class="section0"><div class="Normal">LUCKNOW: The Vidhan Parishad on Wednesday witnessed heated exchanges between independent MLC Sunil Singh and the teachers group over the government run primary schools, particularly of rural areas. The issue was raised during the zero hour by Singh, who said that these schools had failed to provide quality education.Referring to teachers posted in these schools, he said they were enjoying facilities at par with government employees, but cannot be transferred. He said the 72nd and the 73rd amendments placed basic education under the purview of panchayats. However, following opposition from the teachers it was kept outside the jurisdiction of these bodies. Consequently, pradhans had no hold over the teachers. He said in villages, teachers seldom attend the school and had nothing to do with education. As a result, non-government schools or those run by private bodies were gaining a foothold in rural areas too. Singh said such teachers be transferred on the principle followed in case of other government employees. He added that the time had come to rise above politics of vote and strengthen primary education. Singhâ€™s observation had the teachers group up on their feet. The first to speak was Panchanan Rai. Referring to the privately run institutes, he said that people had made education a ''vyapar'' (business) and were now trying to defame the public education system. Referring to the demand for transferring teachers, he said the Kothari Commission had said that teachers should work in villages as they were well versed with the existing situation. Om Prakash Sharma said that due consideration be given to the fact that a basic teacher worked outside the school for 172 days a year, as he was required to do a whole lot of duties, including census, election and pulse polio. Sharma said that teachers would become the â€˜huntedâ€™ category if they were not politically strong. The adjournment was disallowed by Chairman Sukhram Yadav. Panchanan Rai drew the attention of the House and sought an adjournment on bungling in the construction department of the KGMU, where a diploma holder junior engineer was performing the duties of an assistant engineer despite the presence of BE-degree holder. Rai said the junior engineer was found guilty of not discharging his duties related to the cleanliness in the hospital effectively. The executive council had also made an adverse entry against him. Supporting him, Bharat Tripathi of the SP said the audit report had held the engineer concerned guilty and stated that he was unfit for the post. Leader of the House Ahmad Hasan said charges against the engineer were serious and the needful action would be taken against him. While disallowing the adjournment the Chair asked Hasan to apprise the House on how he was given the post. The teachers group also raised the issue of non-filling of existing vacancies through promotions in the lecturer and LT grade. Jagvir Kishore Jain said such vacancies were not being filled despite clear rules that vacant sanctioned posts had to be filled through promotions. He said the â€˜mandal samitisâ€™ were violating this rule. Shyam Narain Singh said it was mandatory to fill 50 per cent of the sanctioned posts through promotions. Education minister Manpal Singh said the problem would be resolved. The chair disallowed the adjournment. The chair also announced the constitution of a committee under Ram Sharan Das to keep a tab on the working of Awaas Vikas, development authority, panchayat, power and other departments. </div> </div>

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