Organisations fume over ‘Shaala Dasara’
The decision to postpone exams and cut short Dasara holidays has invited widespread criticism from various organisations. Parents are calling the institutions and enquiring about this move by the minister, which has not gone down really well.
CISPMAM (CBSE, ICSE and State Private School Management Association Mysore Division) has also criticised the decision regarding Dasara holidays being cut short. In a press release, the organisation said that the government or the representatives of department concerned should have held a preliminary meeting with parents and schools before arriving at such sudden decisions. “Children have prepared for exams and are under severe stress. Postponing exams at the last minute and forcing children to participate in Dasara would be an unrealistic expectation,” the members added in the press release.
The changed schedule of holidays not only affects the children, but also the entire family since the parents would have planned some family outings corresponding with holidays. “If implemented, this decision is sure to be unpopular and also have an undesirable impact on academic performance of children,” the release said. The organisation has urged the government to revert to the holiday schedule as decided previously.
Association for Concerned and Informed Citizens (ACICM) has termed the decision of Dasara holidays being reduced by a week, and also postponement of exams and organising competitions for children as ‘unscientific’ and ‘irresponsible’. In a press release here, M Lakshmana, Convenor of ACICM said children would find it more interesting to watch Dasara, than sit in a corner and write an essay on the festival — which is a punishment.
“The state government had earlier announced holidays between October 4 and 24. People involved in the decision of revising it, do not seem to have even basic knowledge that district administration is not empowered to take such decisions,” he said.
Referring to the postponement of exams, Lakshmana said a part of exams were already over and it would be undemocratic to unilaterally decide that the remaining exams be postponed. “This will affect the semester classes too,” he said.
This apart, he has raised objection to a decision regarding government overlooking the ‘rangoli’s being drawn in front of houses when the festival is on. “This is people’s festival and they will definitely have rangolis adorning the front portions of their homes. But an agency being entrusted with this responsibility brings up a crucial question about the payment part,” he said.
The Sarvajanika Samskruthika Samithi has condemned the Dasara organising committee and the district in-charge minister S A Ramdas for cutting short dasara vacations for school students on the pretext of “Shaala Dasara”. “It is a completely irrational decision. The samithi will protest the decision in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office on Sept 30 at 10.30 am,” a release from Samithi president M L Ramesh said here.
DH News Service
