------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Documented by Goa Desc Resource Centre Ph:2252660 Website: www.goadesc.org Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Press Clippings on the web: http://www.goadesc.org/mem/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Teachers seek more time for filing objections to education policy ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The All Goa Secondary School Teachers Associations (AGSSTA), in its emergency meeting held today at Margao, condemned and ridiculed the attitude of the state government to suppress the material information about the "draft proposals for school education policy for Goa".
The Education Department has proposed the said draft to bring novel recommendations in the field of education which contains radical changes in the present education policy like deviation from examination -oriented system, change in school hours, reorganisation of the present education set-up and introduction of new subjects etc.
The meeting observed that proposals empower the managements for recruitment of staff and service conditions, all appointments, transfers, promotions, suspension and dismissals under the intimation of the Director of Education.
The association felt that if such unfettered powers to alter the service conditions without the prior approval of the Directorate of Education are conferred, then there is likely to be victimisation of teachers and other staff.
The association also expresses concern over the issue of proposed
change in the school hours and said that such changes shall obviously
affect the health, education and other skills of wards. It was felt that it will
also cause hardships to parents and students at large as the middle and
lower class parents will not be able to provide costly food from hotels
to their wards. It was also felt that food from hotels is unhygienic and
harmful to the health of young pupils.
The vice president of Association, Mr Vithoba Dessai said that the state government should have consulted the concerned strata of the society while formulating the education policy. He said that educationists, psychologists, teachers' bodies and PTAs ought to have been taken into confidence before bringing such drastic changes in educational pattern.
He alleged that despite of being transparent in its functioning, the government deliberately suppressed information about the said proposal in order to deny the right to file objections from any quarter of the society.
The president of the Association, Mr Ravindra Nagveker in a press note condemned the statements of the Director of Education regarding the leakage of draft proposals and its intentions to punish the teacher responsible for leakage. He maintained that the said proposal is not secret as claimed by the state government, and alleged that its copies were despatched to some of the selected schools and as such the question of secrecy and leakage of information does not arise.
Mr Nagveker alleged that the government has taken utmost care in not sending the copies of the said draft to schools so as to avoid mass objections to the proposals from the concerned bodies.
Meanwhile, the Association has resolved to file objections to the proposed irregularities in the said draft and also to ask for extension of time from December 10, 2003 to January 31, 2004 so as to enable all the concerned to file their objections in time.
The Association has also decided to create awareness among teachers and staff members about the proposed draft of education policy which will have adverse effect on their service. ---------------------------------------------------- The Navhind Times 10/12/03 page 3 ----------------------------------------------------
======================================= GOA DESC RESOURCE CENTRE Documentation + Education + Solidarity 11 Liberty Apts., Feira Alta, Mapusa, Goa 403 507 Tel: 2252660 mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] website: www.goadesc.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Working On Issues Of Development & Democracy =======================================
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