Teacher | SabrangIndia

Ahmedabad: ‘Derogatory’ posts on WhatsApp land teacher in trouble

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 11:21:57 +0000

Image Courtesy:ahmedabadmirror.com

An Ahmedabad-based teacher, identified as Manisha Bhavsar, working at RH Kapadia school was arrested for allegedly posting a derogatory and offensive statement about Muslims.

According to a report in the Indian Express, Bhavsar was a member of many WhatsApp groups where the derogatory posts were shared. Police told the media that an FIR was lodged at Cyber Crime police station on Tuesday. This was after a complaint was filed that a WhatsApp account holder had posted an update “which could hurt the sentiments of the Muslim community.”

Police mounted a technical surveillance and investigation, identified and nabbed the accused Bhavsar from her residence. According to the report, Manisha Bhavsar has been a school teacher for 10 years and has taught in more than eight schools. She had recently joined the RH Kapadia school.

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Haryana: Why are 40,000 teachers’ posts lying vacant?

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 10:49:12 +0000

Image Courtesy:thedailyguardian.com

The Haryana school education department has a shortage of around 40,000 teachers in 14,000 schools run by the state government. This is in addition to a shortage of 6,000 supporting staff in these schools which need around 12,408 sweepers, peons and watchmen.

Haryana education minister Kanwar Pal Gujjar placed this information in the State Assembly on Tuesday. He had to respond to a question asked by MLA Nayan Pal Rawat, who represents the Prithla assembly in Faridabad, and is an independent MLA. He had asked about the “total number of secondary, high schools and other schools in the state and the number of students, teachers and other staff posted,” stated news reports.

The education department replied that it “has 46,459 vacancies of different posts, including 398 of principals, 112 headmasters, 13,974 graduate teachers (PGTs), 20,467 trained graduate teachers (TGT), 4,846 primary teachers (PRTs) and 6,662 of other supporting staff like sweeper/chowkidar/peon.”

According to the minister, there are 14,473 government schools in the state where 25,30,868 students are studying. According to a report in The Telegraph, some of the vacancies haven’t been filled since 2015. Till October 31 this year, recruitment for 26,704 posts in different departments was pending before the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC), and for another 1,070 positions before the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC), stated the news report.

The government run schools reportedly have a “requirement of 46,861 TGTs, but only 26,394 are available”and of “the total sanctioned posts of 39,808 PGT, 35.1 percent haven’t been filled yet.” The schools need 2,341 principals but have 1,843, and need 1,071 headmasters but only 959 are available. According to reports 4,846 posts of primary teachers are yet to be filled, in government schools, as well as 437 posts of lecturers lie vacant and haven’t been filled even after an advertisement was issued this year.

Earlier this month, the state of the education sector in Uttar Pradesh, lay exposed as aspirant teachers engaged in state-wide protests to condemn recruitment irregularities and the brutal lathi-charge on individuals observing a candle march on December 5, 2021. A large group of hopeful teachers had gathered in Lucknow to condemn the infamous irregularities in the 2019 Uttar Pradesh exam that was to recruit 69,000 assistant teachers across UP. The recruitment drive initiated prior to the global pandemic, and when the second wave of the pandemic subsided, the aspirants resolved to step out on the streets and demand their dues from the BJP-led UP government. However, the peaceful protesters ended up facing heavy police lathi-charge. The incident sparked huge outrage among Opposition party leaders and the masses.

Interestingly, the Union Ministry of Education told the Parliament on August 2 that 41% of posts reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) at central universities and research institutions continue to remain vacant. Dharmendar Pradhan, the Education Minister had responded to a query raised by Lok Sabha MP Dharmendra Pradhan on the total number of sanctioned and vacant posts for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and other Backward Classes (OBCs) in all Central Universities and research institutions, and why the same have remained vacant.

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Srinagar: Community Schools Become Way of Resistance Amid Lockdown

Fri, 27 Sep 2019 05:55:03 +0000

“We can’t let the children stay locked indoors and get depressed with all the suffering around them,” said a teacher.

Tucked inside the narrow lanes of Srinagar’s iconic Lal Chowk—known to be the epicentre for the resistance—is a community school being run in a small mosque of Dazgir Sahib. The Indian government has stated that normalcy has returned to the state with schools being opened and buses plying on the streets. “There is nothing, which is normal here. We don’t want this normalcy imposed on us by the state,” said Zakira, a teacher from the community school.

The school, which is essentially a two-room set up with 40 children across ages, was set up sometime after August 15. “The state wants our children to be illiterate and they want to push their future into darkness and take us back to the ancient times. This is unacceptable to us. To turn up at the schools and teach these children is a way of resistance for us,” said Zakira.

Zakira travels for over three hours every single day to reach the school. She says their futures are at stake and they are suffering enormously amidst the lockdown in the state with no access to a regular classroom setup. “I just have one other teacher along with me here for these children, but we can’t let them stay locked indoors and get depressed with all the suffering around them,” she said.

When asked about how difficult it was for them to set up the school, Zakira said that getting the children out of their homes was the biggest obstacle in the process. Another teacher added, “We went from door to door to ask parents to let their children come to the mosque and spend the day there learning and reading. It was extremely difficult to gain their trust, as they were frightened and fearing for the safety of their children. They asked us what if there’s a crackdown by the forces and something happens to our child? What will we do then?”

Finally being able to attend classes, Rashida* (name changed), a 16-year-old student at the community school, said, “It is liberating to come out here and to finally be able to learn and to talk to the people of my age. We take lessons and practice maths. Before this, it felt like we were prisoners in our own homes. I’m still scared to come out because the situation is not normal, but I come here every day to learn, as I want to become a doctor when I grow up to be able to save lives of the people and my state.”

The teacher told NewsClick, “They ask us to sit and we sit. They ask us to stand and we stand. We are tired of functioning at the whim of the Indian state and this crackdown is not acceptable to us. In Kashmir, all virtues of justice and equality enshrined in the Indian Constitution stand abandoned.”

This isn’t the first time that the teachers have opened up community schools dependent on voluntary contribution. In 2016, following escalation of tensions owing to the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen Commander Burhan Wani, similar schools had taken shape in various areas of the state. In Srinagar, too, more schools are being set up. “Another school is coming up in Gosaiya now to give more and more children access to education,” said Zakira.

After abrogation of Article 370—that conferred special status upon J&K—on August 5, the entire region has been witnessing a complete lockdown. Over the last few weeks, the Indian government has claimed time and again that normalcy is returning to the state with many schools offering teaching material in pen drives and conducting examinations. However, local have refuted the claims of the government.

Education has taken massive hit in the Valley with the atmosphere of fear restraining the movement of everyone including students. With colleges shut and in absence of communication and transport facility, students are left with no option but to stay home. Many of those who had paid hefty sums of money for coaching classes and state examinations are also left in a lurch with no immediate solution in sight—making community schools a temporary gateway.

Courtesy: News Click

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New Low: Assaulter of Teacher is New DUSU Secretary (ABVP)

Thu, 14 Sep 2017 13:01:58 +0000

Its another all time low for the Delhi University. One of the elected representatives to the recently concluded DUSU elections is a woman who beat her teacher! Neddless to say that she belongs to the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). On February 22, 2017, a peaceful protest by the students and teachers Delhi University turned into a brutal affair after members of ABVP attacked the protesters. Mahamedhaa Nagar was at the forefront, punching and kicking Abha Dev Habib, a DU faculty. Various student organisations and teaching faculty have criticized the party for

Critically assessing the manifesto released by ABVP, Habib said “They are promising violent free campus when they themselves are fielding someone who is audacious enough to hit her teacher,” The manifesto released by the student political party focused on having a ‘fear-free’ campus.

Irked over her selection, the members of All India Students Association (AISA) had planned to write to the Vice-Chancellor and the election committee. They claim that Nagar’s name was mentioned in the PIL filed by a section of students in the Delhi High Court seeking action against those involved in the Ramjas violence. There are clear evidences of Nagar attacking the students. Newsclick reporters have also faced assault from her.

Defending itself, the ABVP’s national media convener, Saket Bahugna claimed that all these are mere allegations and hold no base. “Those who are alleging that she had assaulted a teacher could not prove anything against her. According to Lyngdoh Committee’s recommendations, a student cannot compete in elections if she or he has faced some disciplinary action. However, there no such action has been taken against Nagar,” he said.

This contestant was however, caught on camera hitting students who were recording this ordeal on their mobile phones. There is another recording showed a girl being beaten up by 4 male students. The police all this while failed to arrest or even stop ABVP members from spreading the violence. Instead, they arrested silent protesters, holding banners and placards in their hands, not weapons. Policemen were caught on camera punching and slapping protesters who had peacefully surrendered themselves to the police. “This is a new low in the history of Delhi University. Those who assaulted their teachers in the name of ‘nationalism’ are being promoted by the ABVP,” said Abha Dev Habib

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