New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative to reach out to every student through television, radio and the Internet on Teachers’ day has failed to enthuse private schools of Delhi which feel that “forcing” them to make arrangements for it will dampen the occasion.
The Directorate of Education (DoE) of Delhi government had issued a notification directing all private as well as government schools to organise a broadcast of the Prime Minister’s address and a question-and-answer session with schoolchildren through television or through Internet from 3 pm to 4.45 pm on September 5.
The directive clearly states that, “Any laxity in the arrangements shall be viewed seriously.”
The DoE notification came following an order by Ministry of Human Resources Development that all the schools throughout the country will have to make arrangements so that students can watch the prime minister’s live address on television.
The government directive asked all heads of schools to make available the requisite number of televisions, set-top box connections, projectors, screens, amplifiers and generator sets or inverters on hiring basis, if these are not available in the schools.
Though a number of private schools termed the initiative as “good and positive”, they feel making the necessary arrangements for showing the address to the students will put a lot of burden on the teachers, following which they will not be able to celebrate the day.
“It’s a good initiative on the part of Prime Minister to bond with students and also take efforts to enhance the image of teachers in the eyes of students. But Teachers day is a special day for the teachers to enjoy. So though it is a good initiative, teachers will end up spending the entire day to ensure implementation of the government directive,” said Ameeta Mulla Wattal, Principal of Spring Dales, Pusa road.
Madhulika Sen, Principal of Tagore International school, Vasant Vihar said many private schools will find it difficult to make the arrangements for showing PM’s address to the students.