GURUGRAM: Wake-up calls could be coming soon from announcers at temples, mosques, churches, gurdwaras and other places of worship for the next few months in Haryana because of an education department initiative to set what could be called a “mass alarm” at 4.30am. Though everyone will hear the alarm if the practice does begin, the exercise is for Class 10 and 12 students, who will appear for their boards in early 2023.It is part of a series of steps the education department has decided to take to improve the pass percentage for government school students. To make up for the lost time in a year of academic disruption due to the transfer and rationalisation exercise, the department has also cancelled the two-week winter break from Christmas for students who will write the boards.Officials will, meanwhile, advise panchayat heads to ensure there is no loud music and long partying so that students can focus on studies. The education department says these are recommendations, and implementation is voluntary.Anshaj Singh, director of secondary education, who issued the directions on Thursday, told TOI, “We have just 70 days left for the board exams. This year was rather a busy one for school education. There were workshops, training and special programmes to bridge learning gaps. We also tried to fix the lapses in resource utilisation in government schools through the school rationalisation and general transfer drive, which compromised teaching time, roughly six weeks. That needs to be covered. So, we have recommended remedial measures to ensure students are well prepared for the exams,” Singh said.The teachers are under direction to ensure student attendance from 72% to over 90% on all days until the board exams and extra classes from 10 am to 2 am during the winter break. The school heads and education officials, along with the support of panchayats, will urge temples, mosques, and gurdwara and church managements to use their loudspeakers to make wake-up announcements every day at 4.30 am. The parents will ensure that students get to their studies latest by 5.15 am. To monitor “religious” adherence to the directives, educators would hold discussions on special WhatsApp groups.Besides, the department has stressed the need to curtail the use of DJs at night. One of the reasons the department has preferred early morning hours instead of ‘burning midnight oil’ is that during this time of the day, there are fewer sources of a nuisance that can distract students. “Night time, especially in cities, gets very noisy. In the morning, the atmosphere is conducive to learning. There is enough scientific evidence that cognitive abilities are enhanced during morning hours. So, we are insisting the community should come together to motivate students to wake up early and learn,” said Pramod Kumar, state programme officer (directorate of elementary education) and nodal officer, Nipun Haryana Mission.Several religious bodies seemed sceptical about how the government plans to implement this idea. “It is a noble idea, no doubt. But for us to undertake it, the government has to list our modalities. Also, since not everybody would be consenting to such a measure, it remains to be seen how much of this will be viable,” said Raghavendra Bhatt of Shingheri Sradha Peeth and a former priest at Sheetla Mata Mandir.Panchayats have also expressed concerns. “What if both temples and mosques start competing? And in case of a clash, who will the government favour? It is a risky affair,” said Vijay Khatana, former sarpanch of Damdama village in Gurgaon.Academicians and educators also expressed apprehensions, especially regarding Whatsapp monitoring of students waking up early.”It is impossible to implement it. Schools are understaffed, and teachers are overworked. Such ambitious tasks without fixing the core issues will hardly yield any result. Moreover, we can only encourage students but can’t force them to score better,” said the principal of a government secondary school in Sohna.
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/mass-4-30am-alarm-for-haryana-x-xii-students/articleshow/96488024.cms
