State keen on reducing schoolbag load of students

Printing of good quality, light to carry, textbooks on

CHENNAI, India: When the new academic year begins in June, thousands of school children will carry bags weighing much less than they did last year.

The School Education Department is now keen on reducing the burden of schoolbags on children, as part of its initiative to implement ‘Samacheer Kalvi’ under the Tamil Nadu Uniform System of School Education Act for classes I and VI this year.

According to School Education Minister Thangam Thennarasu, printing of textbooks, designed according to the new syllabus, is going on at full swing and would reach students during the first week of June. “A lot of attention has been given to the quality of paper used and weight of textbooks. The textbooks will be of A4 size and have been made using 80 gsm paper. The book will not only be of good quality, but also be light to carry,” he said.

Instead of printing separate workbooks and making students carry them to school everyday, the Department is considering providing work sheets.

While textbooks would be provided to government and aided schools free of cost, Matriculation schools would have to purchase them for a price. According to sources, the textbooks have been priced lower than before.

Welcome move

“Children of the primary sections following the Activity-Based Learning methodology have to carry hardly anything because the methodology largely involves use of activity cards,” Mr. Thennarasu said.

Teachers have welcomed the decision to reduce the load of schoolbags. According to M. Moorthy, president and state treasurer, Tamil Nadu Elementary Schools Teachers Federation, it is important that students be allowed to carry bags that are not too heavy. “It is certainly a welcome decision,” he said.

N. Vijayan, General Secretary, Federation of Matriculation Schools’ Associations in Tamil Nadu, said last year, in an attempt to reduce the load of schoolbags on their students, Matriculation schools decided to rework the time-table to enable students to carry select textbooks on a given day.

“A heavy schoolbag may impact a child’s health and growth. Besides the government’s efforts, schools must, on their part, cooperate and ensure this is made possible,” he added.

Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/05/stories/2010040553790500.htm

Courtesy
The Hindu

Breaking caste barriers

Cultural night organised by Tamizhnadu Kalai Ilakkiya Perumandram —PHOTO:R.M. RAJARATHINAM.

GRIPPING: Artistes of Tamizhnadu Kalai Ilakkiya Perumandram staging a play in Tiruchi on Saturday.

TIRUCHI, India: Deafening sounds of explosions create a scene of panic. The country is at the crossroads owing to mindless violence and attack by external forces. “Where to go! What has fate in store for me?” laments the hero of the sequence.

At this juncture, a senior citizen sings the heart-rending popular number ‘ Tamizha Tamizha, Naalai num naalae’, keeping the audience spell-bound.

The climax sequence gained more significance, as the senior citizen appears on the stage, waving the National Flag on the right hand, giving a ray of hope for those affected.

This is one of the plays staged at the ‘Makkal Kalai Iravu’ organised as part of the state conference of the Tamizhnadu Kalai Ilakkiya Perumandram in the city on Saturday.

The cultural programme witnessed the participation of a number of artistes in different age-groups. Children also exhibited their talents. In fact, there was an exclusive play by children which was directed by Puducherry Velusaravanan.

Every performance — folk dance by the Kumari Murasu art troupe; plays by Kumari Vandhanam art troupe and Kovi. Selvaraj; dance-cum-drama by Puducherry Jayamoorthy; song on ‘native soil’ by Tiruchi Jeeva — had a common goal: emancipation of Dalits; dignity and honour for women; breaking the caste-based discrimination in the society.

The cultural programmes also sensitised the parents to give up the mania and obsession for English language when it comes to educating their wards.

A cross-section of poets and writers offered felicitations on the occasion. K. A. Gunasekaran, one of the progressive writers, said that though the Perumandram has been taking efforts through intensive campaign, the desired goals of eliminating untouchability and other social evils were yet to be achieved.

Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/05/stories/2010040556150200.htm

Courtesy
The Hindu

‘Pavala Vaddi' loans for ex-servicemen

Chief Minister felicitates war widows at a rally

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Quota for children of ex-servicemen in professional colleges also promised

Land sought for construction of houses to serving, retired personnel

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— Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

Pride of nation:Army personnel help an elderly woman who lost her loved one in the 1962 Sino-Indian conflict, at a rally addressed by Chief Minister

HYDERABAD, India: Chief Minister K. Rosaiah has offered financial assistance to ex-servicemen and war widows under Pavala Vaddi scheme and also exemption of property tax. He assured them that the State government will consider all their reasonable demands.

Addressing a rally of ex-servicemen and ‘veer naari’ (war widows) at the Artillery Centre near Golconda here on Sunday he stated that the State government had taken up several initiatives including job reservation for retired Army personnel. Allotment of house sites, exemption of property tax, loans under pavala vaddi scheme and reservation for their children in professional education colleges would also be provided, the Chief Minister assured.

There were 148 war widows of soldiers who had laid down their lives in several battles since 1947 in addition to 3,200 World War II veterans and their widows in the State. The government had allocated Rs. 11 crore in the current budgetfor providing an assistance ofRs. 300 per month to each of World War II veterans and their widows. He felicitated war widows on the occasion and hailed the services of Armed Forces in safeguarding the frontiers of the country at all times.

Director General of Artillery Lt. Gen. K.R. Rao paid tributes to soldiers who had sacrificed their lives for the security of the nation and hoped that grievances of ex-servicemen would be settled.

General Officer Commanding (Andhra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka Area) Lt. Gen. B.K. Chengappa requested the government to allot land at subsidised rate for construction of houses to Armed Forces personnel and ex-servicemen under Army Welfare Housing Scheme in Hyderabad, Secunderabad, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Tirupati. He also urged the authorities to allot land in Vijayawada, Kakinada and Chittoor for setting up polyclinics under Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS).

General Officer Commanding (GOC), Andhra Sub-Area, Maj. Gen. K.D. Singh and Commandant Artillery Centre, Golconda, Brig. Prakash Nair were also present.Over 3,000 ex-servicemen and war widows participated in the rally.

Chief Minister lists measures taken for the welfare Army personnel; promises quota in professional

Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/05/stories/2010040561000600.htm

Courtesy
The Hindu

Paramita – maintaining high standards

TWENTY First Century schools are faced with the enormous challenges of offering high quality education meeting global standards and requirements. A ‘Good’ school becomes ‘Great’ only when it can offer such education.

Today the global climate demands high grade personality, character ethic, a quality to lead from the front and by example, innovative thinking process skills, and life skills, exhibition of resoluteness in competition, integrated use of the body, mind, heart and soul, appreciation of universal culture and adherence to true national perspective, the spirit of inquiry, and freedom to function.

Paramita Schools, Karimnagar have awakened to these demands fifteen years ago and today they stand tall as one can see Paramita accessed to ‘Global standards of Education’, through the saga of high grit and determination combined with wisdom and devotion to the call of the hour.

The children at Paramita maintain high success rate even after leaving the institution – every child works to the full capacity.

Paramita, affiliated to state board, follows XSEED syllabus in preprimary and primary schools, IIT League – an IIT Foundation Course for standard VI to X and has decent infrastructure and learner-friendly atmosphere with faculty drawn from across the country.

Today Paramita stands for ‘values’ and is committed to child care and growth’, through continuous Curriculum Research and its ‘Application’.

Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/05/stories/2010040551030200.htm

Courtesy
The Hindu

Collector who ‘rescued' distressed weavers

Sandeep Kumar Sultania successfully implemented total financial inclusion scheme for Sircilla weavers

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KARIMNAGAR, India: Collector Sandeep Kumar Sultania, who was transferred to the Tourism Development Corporation as the Managing Director, has won accolades for his service for the uplift of distressed powerloom weavers and his initiative to end suicides with innovative economic empowerment programme in the Sircilla.

Suicides

There were spate of suicides by the powerloom weavers of Sircilla since the invasion of jet and auto looms in other parts of the country since 2000 on wards due to unemployment and huge debts, the authorities concerned were trying to redress their grievances with temporary measures. Mr. Sultania, however, identified the root cause for the suicides among the weavers.

Abject poverty

He found that weavers were forced to live in abject poverty due to the loans taken from micro finance companies at high interest rates.

The income earned by the weavers was paid towards the interest alone. Besides, the micro finance companies were allegedly harassing the weavers for repayment of loans.

In order to relieve the weavers from the harassment of micro finance companies, Mr Sultania had decided to implement the total financial inclusion (TFI) scheme to Sircilla weavers on an experimental basis.

Accordingly, he informed the same to the government. The then Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy had readily agreed for the implementation of TFI scheme and instructed the bankers to extend financial assistance under the scheme at ‘Pavala Vaddi’ scheme in the month of October 2008.

Since then, the district administration had roped in the services of successful women self-help groups from various parts of the State and imparted training in the constitution of women SHGs in Sircilla.

After formation of women SHGs , the bankers had come forward and extended financial assistance to the tune of around Rs. 70 crore under TFI scheme. About 1300 women SHGs have benefited under the scheme.

The women availed loans from the banks and repaid the loans taken from micro finance companies and money lenders. and leading a normal life.

Since the implementation of TFI scheme, the suicides among weavers had come down drastically in the textile town.

The State government is planning to extend this successful experiment in other parts of the State for the economic empowerment of poorer sections.

Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/05/stories/2010040556770300.htm

Courtesy
The Hindu