Citizens' Forum pleads for CBSE holiday list

FROM OUR Special Correspondent

Silchar, July 2: In view of the raging controversy over the holiday list and protests from different organizations against it, Proactive Senior Citizens Forum of this town has pleaded for following the all India school calendar as followed by CBSE schools across the country. This will, according to the Forum general secretary, Prof. Dilip Kumar Dey, will strengthen tiolism. In a memorandum to Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, Minister of Education, he said that even before the Independence, Barak Valley has been following school holiday list as different from Brahmaputra Valley. This has been in vogue for more than a century.

It has been due to geographic, demographic and cultural reasons. It is quite surprising, Prof. Dey pointed out that from this scholastic session, the Education Minister should insist on thrusting the holiday calendar of Brahmaputra Valley on Barak Valley for the sake of commolity. This is, in fact, ignoring past history and tradition. Prof. Dey raises the question will he ask the Central Government to prevail over Viswabharati, a Central University founded by Rabindra th Tagore, to shift its traditiol weekly holiday from Wednesday to Sunday? He has also been insisting on shifting weekly holiday of Madrassas from Friday to Sunday.

 According to Prof. Dey, the Education Minister is raking up issues out of nothing to hurt the sentiments and feelings of people. It is also a ploy to divert the attention of people from the poor state of affairs related to the vacant posts in schools and colleges which are standing as a stumbling block in the path of imparting proper and systematic education to students. It is really unfortute and incomprehensible that the teachers of government and provincialized schools are subjected to undue criticism and even scolding without realizing the reality that 40 to 60 percent posts of teachers are lying vacant.

 Prof. Dey cited the poor condition of Government Boys’ and Girls’ Higher Secondary Schools of this town as well as College of Teacher Education in respect of the number of teachers working against the sanctioned posts. In fact, teachers have to work under severe constraints and can hardly be expected to do justice to students. The Forum thinks it is denial of proper education to students and also a negation of the fundamental right of teachers to teach in congenial academic atmosphere. Besides, the deserving and qualified youths are also being deprived of employment in schools and colleges.

 It has been alleged by the Forum that suggestions or views sent from Barak Valley by responsible organizations on improvement of academic standard and other related issues are not even acknowledged. In order to resolve the controversy over holiday list, the Forum is of the opinion that a dialogue should be initiated with the intellectuals and academicians of this valley, recognizing the cultural diversity of Assam state. The memorandum to the Education Minister was sent direct by the Proactive Senior Citizens Forum on June 30.