Puducherry – India’s cleanest school

Puducherry, September 4. Puducherry chief minister V. Narayanasamy lauded the efforts of teachers and non-teaching staff of a government primary school at Koonichampet for bagging the all-India #1 rank under the Swachch Vidyalaya Puraskar (clean schools programme) of the Central government. He presented a cheque of Rs.1 lakh to the school’s principal Sasikumar. Of the 52 schools shortlisted countrywide for the award by the Union human resource development ministry, seven are sited in Puducherry. The Government Primary School, Koonichampet with an enrolment of 500 students was top rated on all parameters of cleanliness. Nagaland Teachers’ Day awards Kohima, September 5. Fifteen teachers, including five women, were conferred awards on Teachers Day (September 5) celebrations in Nagaland. The teachers, five of whom are in private schools, were awarded at a function organised by the state government’s ministry of school education. “Our lives have been greatly influenced by teachers who helped us mould various aspects of our lives… You (teachers) need to reorient and change your teaching methods in the fast changing world to inspire students to learn and perform well in their studies,” said K.T. Sukhalu, MLA, and advisor (school education) of the state government. Delhi Madrasa teachers protest New Delhi, September 5. Hundreds of madrasa teachers from Uttar Pradesh staged a protest over non-payment of pending dues including salaries, for the past 30 months at the national capital’s Parliament Street. At least 25,000 teachers in UP haven’t been paid their dues by the Central government, they alleged. The protesting teachers from UP are among 50,000 teachers in 16 states registered under the Centre’s Scheme for Providing Quality Education in Madrasas (SPQEM), introduced by the Union HRD ministry in 2008. In a memorandum addressed to prime minister Narendra Modi, the school teachers said they haven’t been paid because they are teaching in madrasas. “This is the discrimination of the BJP government,” said Azaz Ahmad, head of Islamic Madrassa Modernisation Teachers’ Association of India (IMMTAI). Meghalaya Age limit extension Shillong, September 7. The state government approved a proposal to increase the upper age limit for appointment of duly qualified teachers in schools and colleges from 27 to 32 years. This information was conveyed to the media by L. Rymbui, education minister of the state government. Moreover, scheduled tribe category candidates will get an additional five years’ relaxation, he added. “The more qualified teachers we have, better the quality of education we can provide to our children,” he said. The government also approved a proposal to hike merit scholarships for lower primary and upper primary school students from Rs.100 per month to Rs.600 and Rs.40 per month to Rs.600 respectively. Rajasthan Joyful Saturdays initiative Jaipur, September 9. The state government has introduced a ‘Joyful Saturday’ initiative under which various recreational and extra-curricular activities will be staged for government school students on the second and fourth Saturday every month. Activities such as debate, poetry recitation, storytelling, puzzle solving, display of scientific magic tricks, toy making, arts and crafts, communicating with police, doctors, nurses, bank…