Schools In UP To Not Open On Sunday, Other Holidays; State Govt Revokes Earlier Order – News18

Due to opposition from the teachers’ association, the Department of Basic Education in Uttar Pradesh has modified its earlier order and informed that all government-run primary and upper primary schools in the state will now remain closed on Sundays and other holidays such as Janmashtami and Chehlum during the ‘Swachhata Pakhwada’.

According to Times Now, the Swachhata Pakhwada or cleanliness fortnight drive will be celebrated in schools from September 1 to September 15. “The events scheduled on Sundays or other holidays will now be held the following day,” informed the latest notification issued by the Director General of Basic Education, Vijay Kiran Anand on August 25.

Meanwhile, the previous order claimed that UP schools would be required to remain open on two Sundays – Janmashtami and Chehlum holidays, because the education department had assigned day-to-day duties to be completed in the schools.

The Uttar Pradesh Primary Teachers Association has previously criticised the decision to keep the UP schools open on Sundays. President of the Uttar Pradesh Shikshak Mahasangh, Dinesh Chandra Sharma, stated that teachers were human beings, not machines who would show up whenever the department wanted.

“Religious freedom has been guaranteed by the Constitution of India to one and all. We are not going to open on Janmashtami and Chehlum or even on Sundays. The department should tweak the itinerary in the interest of students as well as teachers,” Dinesh Chandra Sharma said, according to Hindustan Times.

The UP Teachers’ Association then claimed that it had become usual for the department to issue an order to open schools at odd hours.

What Is Swachhata Pakhwada Or Cleanliness Fortnight?

According to the UP education department’s guidelines, a meeting between the school management committee, parents, and teachers will be held in the first week of the fortnight drive to emphasise the need of cleanliness and hand washing, the usage of masks, and social distancing among the individuals.

– Teachers, students, and the community should be encouraged to practise good hygiene habits both at school and at home.

– Teachers should supervise the sanitary facilities at each school/institute.

– A rapid assessment of water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities should be performed, and if necessary, a proposal/plan for repair and maintenance of the facilities must be developed.

– In schools, competitions for clean premises and restrooms must be held.

– Essay, slogan, and poem contests for students in school on cleanliness and hygiene habits, as well as writing and art contests, debates, and quizzes, must be organised.

– Messages on cleanliness can be posted on the district’s website / schools / basic education department. In addition, cleanliness-related images must be displayed at the school.

– Teachers and school management should inculcate a habit of cleanliness in children.

– All waste items, such as sanitary waste, worn and discarded masks, broken furniture, unusable equipment, damaged cars, and so on, should be completely removed from school grounds by following the set guidelines.