Teacher away, school guard takes lessons!

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August 9, 2011 / By Pramila Krishnan, DC Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu.

Guard P.Perumal reads out to students at the primary school in Dharmapuri - Deccan Chronicle photo.

Unmindful of the samacheer kalvi debate raging across the state of Tamil Nadu, watchman P. Perumal teaches Tamil, even Maths and Science, to the students in a primary school in Dharmapuri.

And his is not an isolated case of odd men getting into strange vocations. Several instances of watchmen or cooks taking lessons for the students in the government tribal residential (GTR) schools prevail in Dharmapuri while their teachers are away busy in their ‘outside meetings’, an euphemism for attending to private business chores.

As the lone teacher-cum-headmaster Sadiq Basha at this GTR School in Suriyakadai had gone to Dharmapuri, about 70 KMs away, to buy provisions for the hostel kitchen, Perumal was conducting the class when this correspondent visited the school of 28 tribal kids on Monday.

And since cook Lakshmi leaves early evening to catch the last bus out, he must also cook the dinner for the children and guard the premises in the night.

"I had studied up to second class and even that was some 30 years ago. I am trying my best to explain lessons to these children. They are very patient", said Perumal, looking a bit sheepish in his avatar as teacher.

Full Story at,

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/nation/south/teacher-away-school-guard-takes-lessons-674

KARNATAKA POLITICS: 'Gita' teaching sparks row in Karnataka!

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• July 17, 2011 
• IANS 
• Bengaluru / DC.

• 
  

• Karnataka's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has landed in a row over its support to teaching of Hindu holy book 'Bhagvad Gita' in schools.
  The controversy took a new turn after Primary and Secondary Education Minister Vishwanath Hegde Kageri said on July 14 that those opposing the Gita teaching should quit India.
  Kageri said teaching the holy book was necessary to inculcate moral values in students. He made the comment at a function in Kolar, 65 km from Bengaluru.
  On July 8, he had announced in Bengaluru that the government was 'open to making Bhagvad Gita teaching compulsory in schools'.
  But Higher Education Minister V.S. Acharya said the programme should not be seen as religious teaching.
  "There is no connection between Bhagavad Gita and religion. Gita has more to do with human values," Acharya asserted.
  Not everyone is convinced.
  Many see it as an attempt to 'communalise' education, and are opposing it on the ground that it was unconstitutional for the government to back such a programme.

01) We are a secular Society and should not indulge in religious teachings in schools, for which there are other places including homes, places of worship, et al!


02) As our constitution doesn't allow any such activity in schools and colleges, the BJP government initiative of trying to teach 'Gita' (of which, I am an ardent follower) could be struck off in an appropriate law and they too know it.


03) This initiative of Karnataka government is nothing but a publicity gimmick and an attempt to incite communal riots, there!

Full Story at,

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/nation/south/gita-teaching-sparks-row-karnataka-283