Daijiworld Media Network - Chikkamagaluru (MS)

Chikkamagaluru, Mar 10: "The officials of state education department have reduced the summer holidays and have sent a notification to start the schools on May 5. This is not right," said MLS S L Bhojegowda expressing his unhappiness over the decision.

Speaking at the press conference here, Bhojegowda said, "The officials of the educations department are saying that in private schools also the summer holidays are reduced and lessons are being taught. If this is followed in government schools also, it is possible to get good results. Though their view seems okay to a certain extent, the mercury will be highest in the first week of May. That too in Northern Karnataka the heat will be at its top in the whole year. In addition, most of the government schools do not have fans. By reducing the summer holidays, parents of the students have to suffer along with the children and the teachers."

"The government has declared the education department as the 'Department of Holidays'. The main reason for this is that the education department gets Christmas as well as Summer holidays. As the other departments of the government do not have these kinds of holidays, they are given 30 days of EL and 20 days of leave with half pay. However, of late, the teachers are given various training during the holidays. In addition, they have to do the valuation of SSLC and first PU valuation and again they are deputed for the revaluation work of SSLC. So they are deprived of their holidays," added Bhojegowda.

Bhojegowda further said, "Injustice is meted out to teachers because of the reduction of school holidays. So the instead of calling education department as 'Department of Holidays', the government has to declared it as "Department without holidays'. Teachers have to be given EL (Earned Leave) and leave with half pay like the staff of other departments."