By Express News Service CHENNAI: Teachers and students fear that their first-term vacations may get cancelled, after the government issued a circular last Monday, asking schools to organise a host of activities in the week leading up to Gandhi Jayanti. While the term holidays run between September 24 and October 2, activities have been planned out from September 23. The activities include secular prayers along with parents, cultural programmes, cleaning and sanitary activities, oratorical and essay competitions and exhibitions among others. However, this has irked students and teachers, as they would have to forgo their vacation to participate in the same. A part of the Navratri festival also coincides with the term vacations. Government school teachers have expressed concern over the circular, as many of them are deployed in schools far away from their home town. “School holidays are the only time we can go back home. If schools are asked to conduct these programmes, inevitably, teachers will be forced to stay back, to host the events and accompany or assist students,” said PK Ilamaran, Tamil Nadu Government Teachers Association leader. A senior official from the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) told Express that the circular follows an instruction from the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), to celebrate Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary. “The circular is however suggestive. It is not compulsory for students and teachers to participate. But, whoever is interested and available, should take part in it or organise it,” he said, adding that participation will be voluntary. He further added that any teacher must be keen on hosting such events as, “It is the 150th birth anniversary of a great leader from India and children must be given the opportunity to participate in such patriotic events.” Ilamaran argued that even though it is voluntary on paper, principals cannot refuse to hold these activities if a Chief Education Officer instructs schools to hold them. “Subsequently, teachers cannot say no if the headmasters assign deputation for these activities and students will have to participate, if their teachers ask them to,” he said, urging the government to cancel the week-long celebrations. Teachers and students fear that their first-term vacations may get cancelled, after the government issued a circular last Monday, asking schools to organise a host of activities in the week leading up to Gandhi Jayanti. While the term holidays run between September 24 and October 2, activities have been planned out from September 23. The activities include secular prayers along with parents, cultural programmes, cleaning and sanitary activities, oratorical and essay competitions and exhibitions among others. However, this has irked students and teachers, as they would have to forgo their vacation to participate in the same. A part of the Navratri festival also coincides with the term vacations. Government school teachers have expressed concern over the circular, as many of them are deployed in schools far away from their home town. “School holidays are the only time we can go back home. If schools are asked to conduct these programmes, inevitably, teachers will be forced to stay back, to host the events and accompany or assist students,” said PK Ilamaran, Tamil Nadu Government Teachers Association leader. A senior official from the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) told Express that the circular follows an instruction from the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), to celebrate Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary. “The circular is however suggestive. It is not compulsory for students and teachers to participate. But, whoever is interested and available, should take part in it or organise it,” he said, adding that participation will be voluntary. He further added that any teacher must be keen on hosting such events as, “It is the 150th birth anniversary of a great leader from India and children must be given the opportunity to participate in such patriotic events.” Ilamaran argued that even though it is voluntary on paper, principals cannot refuse to hold these activities if a Chief Education Officer instructs schools to hold them. “Subsequently, teachers cannot say no if the headmasters assign deputation for these activities and students will have to participate, if their teachers ask them to,” he said, urging the government to cancel the week-long celebrations.

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