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Hans India
a day ago
- General
- Hans India
Delightful day for schoolchildren across the state
Vijayawada: It was a day of joyful unity and healthy activity for lakhs of schoolchildren across the state as they en-thusiastically celebrated International Yoga Day on Saturday. Schools buzzed with excitement from as early as 6 am, with students and teachers gathering to participate in various yoga sessions. Teachers took the opportunity to explain the importance of yoga for physical and mental well-being to the eager young participants. Following the yoga sessions, schools provided breakfast to the children before they joined the state-wide 'Yogandhra' programme. For this special occasion, school hours were adjusted from 6 am to 12 pm. The school Education department successfully organised Yogandhra across 61,266 government, private, and aided schools, witnessing the participation of nearly 60 lakh individuals, including students, teach-ers, school staff, School Management Committee (SMC) members, and parents. This massive event, with yoga performances by millions, marked a historic achievement for the state. B Srinivasa Rao, state project director of Samagra Shiksha, highlighted the significance of the event, stating that the mass participation across thousands of schools reflected the deep commitment of the education ecosystem to holistic student well-being. Director of school education V Vijay Ramaraju thanked everyone who contributed to the successful exe-cution of Yogandhra over the past month and ensured the grand observance of International Yoga Day. He specifically commended the dedicated efforts of nodal officers, department HoDs, RJDs, DEOs, APCs, MEOs, headmasters, teachers, physical education instructors, voluntary organisations, SMC, and PTA members, and parents, whose collective support made the initiative a resounding success.
Hans India
10-06-2025
- Hans India
Telangana: Academic Year 2025–26 to Start on June 12 – Key Dates & Holidays Announced
The new academic year in the state will commence on Thursday, June 12. The Education Department has released the School Education Academic Calendar for 2025–26. According to the calendar, classes will begin on June 12, 2025, and the last working day will be April 23, 2026. Summer holidays are scheduled from April 24 to June 11. Orders to this effect were issued by Education Secretary Yogitharana. The 2025–26 academic year will include a total of 230 working days. Meanwhile, the school trip program, which started on Friday, will continue until June 19. Key Exam Dates SA1 Exams: October 24 to 31, 2025 SA2 Exams: April 10 to 18, 2026 Pre-final Exams (for Class 10): To be completed by February 28, 2026 Public Exams: Scheduled for March 2026 Monthly and Special Activities School Management Committee and Amma Adarsh School Committee (AAPC) meetings will be held in the first week of every month. A No-Bag Day will be observed on the third Saturday of each month. Holiday Schedule Dussehra Holidays: September 21 to October 3, 2025 Christmas Break (Missionary Schools): December 23 to 27, 2025 Sankranti Holidays: January 11 to 15, 2026
The Hindu
08-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
A village's cry to keep a panchayat union primary school running in Tiruvallur
At a small village in Tiruvallur district that even Google Maps hasn't captured, a panchayat union primary school is fighting to survive. From one student last year, the number of students has increased to three this year. Nestled at the end of a gravel road at Vellambakkam are three new buildings. One is for the school, another is for a library, and the other is for a self-help group. A temporary teacher has been deputed since last September to teach all the classes and an assistant principal-in-charge has been sent from another school. Two students joined a day after the school reopened on June 2 this year. B. Rejina, 10, from Vellambakkam is the only student from last year. 'Last year, it was very boring as I was the only student. Now, Sandhya is my best friend,' Rejina says, pointing to Sandhya who joined the school recently. When Rejina and Sandhya finish Class V this year, R. Sangeetha will be the only student left in the school. The teacher says that only last year did the enrolment drop to one student. 'The School Management Committee member, residents, and Rejina, too, came along for door-to-door canvassing and distribution of pamphlets, but parents were not willing to enrol their children here,' she says. On the reopening day, only Rejina turned up for school. Soon two other children joined. Their families had shifted to the village in search of work as tree-cutters. 'We are now canvassing. The nearby Mettur Colony has no school, and three children from there would join too,' the teacher adds. S. Balaganapathy, Rejina's father, says there were 13 students two years ago. 'Last year, there were two students, including my child. But the other child left in two months. We wanted to shift Rejina when she was the only student, but we decided to wait as the school is nearby.' M. Shanthi, the 59-year-old cook, has been the only permanent fixture at the school. 'About 15 years ago, I used to cook for 40 children. Even if it's one student, I come and cook,' she says, adding 'dal' to the mango sambhar brewing in the pot. Fight for education The school was built 20 years ago. Vellambakkam residents say they fought hard to get a school established and a road laid in the village. 'Our leader at that time brought us together to demand education and amenities. All of us fought for the school and the Anganwadi. I studied there, and my boys too,' says Gowri (name changed), a resident. Then why is the school struggling for enrolment? Residents attribute the problem to the dwindling population and the parents' preference for private schools. 'Almost all of us studied at the Vellambakkam Panchayat Union Primary School. But once we got degrees, we had to go out for jobs. Most houses in the village are abandoned as people leave for better opportunities,' says Raja, 35, pointing to a dilapidated house next to his. According to the 2011 Census, Vellambakkam had 297 people with 81 huts. Residents say that today, the number of houses has come down to 35-40. 'As there are no roads in the village, except for the main road, the parents are attracted by the transport offered by the private schools. Further, as one school has classes till VIII or X, students would rather go there because there is no need to change school,' says Rajammal, 30, a resident. The nearest private school is 1.5 km away. It offers education till Class 8 and transport. Hence, most parents enrol their children in that school. 'It means safety with pick-up and drop at the doorstep,' says Rajammal. A government aided school is 4 km away, offering classes till XII, while a government higher secondary school is another 3 km away. Hence, many residents opt for the private or government-aided schools. Selvi, another resident, says the primary school was their introduction to education. 'In the last three years, the enrolment dropped from 10 to 5. All of us started canvassing. Urging the parents to enrol their children in the school, we would highlight the benefits of a government school. The school is good. But the parents fancy the neat ties, shoes, and vans of a private school,' she says. About 500 metres away from the primary school is the Anganwadi, where there are 15 children. 'Every year, I advise the parents to enrol their children in the government school, but they don't listen,' says the Anganwadi teacher. Meanwhile, Rajammal plans to enrol her 18-month-old child in the primary school. 'She will study there like her father, but I hope the school survives until then.' An official of the District Education Office hopes to increase the enrolment. 'We are trying to increase it. But if our efforts fail, the school may be shut down.' Decreasing enrolment This is not the only school with one student. Ramanathapuram also has a primary school with one student. Even as the School Education Department has been intensifying efforts to enrol more students in government schools, many government schools have a low enrolment rate. Over 1.8 lakh students have joined government schools this year. At the Project Approval Board meeting for the Samagra Shiksha Fund for 2025-26, the Union Ministry of Education recommended that Tamil Nadu's School Education Department improve enrolment in government schools. Citing the UDISE+ 2023-24 report, it said 64% of the government schools in the State had only 37% enrolment, whereas 21% of unaided schools had 46%. It also pointed out that 3,481 primary schools had less than 15 students, while 39 schools had no enrolment at all.
The Hindu
04-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
This govt. school in Ramanathapuram has one student and a lone teach
A panchayat union primary school at Kattiyanenthal near Kodanur panchayat in Ramanathapuram district runs with just one teacher and a class V student due to poor enrolment in the current academic year. The school had two students in the previous academic year (2024 – 25), and four students in the year before. One of the two students from last year moved to another school in a nearby village, said sources. The school which was started about 30 years ago once had more than 50 students, said the villagers. The major reason for the gradual downfall of admissions has been attributed to the rise of high schools, higher secondary schools, and private CBSE schools in nearby villages. While the medium of instruction in the panchayat union school in the village was Tamil, parents who prefer English as medium of instruction and communication enrol their children in other schools, villagers added. Sources said that only a Headmaster was running the school last year due to a vacant teacher's post. After his transfer to a different school, a teacher from Mangalakudi was deputed to teach at the school, said sources. To fulfil the only student's food needs, morning breakfast has been arranged from a school in Pillayar Enthal village and lunch from a school in Kunjangulam, the authorities informed. However, school authorities say that the village has only a few houses and, in those households too, children in the age group between five and ten were very few. Senior district education department officials visited the school and the village to learn about the prevailing situation there. 'To overcome the issue of poor students' strength, we have held talks with the villagers and the School Management Committee (SMC) to increase the enrolment,' the official added. The officials were confident that the SMC members would convince the villagers to admit their children at the village school. 'If the villagers seek English medium of instruction, we can even represent their needs to the government and a suitable action can be taken,' the official assured. The officials negated the chances of the school being shut due to poor enrolment but said there were chances for the school to be merged with any of the nearby schools.
Time of India
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
CM Bhupendra Patel responds to Banaskantha student's request, promises school visit during SMC outreach
GANDHINAGAR: In a touching moment, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel engaged in a heartfelt conversation with Sanya Prajapati , a Class 1 student from Uttampura village's primary school in Banaskantha, according to the Chief Minister's office press release. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now During a video dialogue with School Management Committee members, Sanya recited a verse from the Shrimad Bhagvad Geeta and innocently asked CM Patel when he would visit her school. CM Patel warmly replied, "When I visit, I will certainly make it a point to meet you." This exchange has resonated with School Management Committees across Gujarat. The interaction was part of a larger video conference with approximately 4.5 lakh School Management Committee members from government schools across the state. CM Patel emphasised the importance of these committees in delivering value-based education and bridging the gap with global standards. He highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's focus on education, health and safety, and extending facilities to rural areas. In this context, he said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has placed emphasis on education, health, and safety and has extended facilities to the smallest villages, and the scope of education has increased. The more active the SMC is, the wider the benefits will be in the education of village schools. The Chief Minister had undertaken the first innovative initiative of video conference dialogue from Gandhinagar with about four and a half lakh members of the School Management Committees of government, primary and secondary schools across the state. Education Minister Kuberbhai Dindor and Minister of State Prafulbhai Panseria also participated in this video dialogue. CM Patel also received their proposals and feedback through discussions with the members of the School Management Committees.
