Learning loss: Govt teachers go the extra mile

Learning loss: Govt teachers go the extra mile

Sruthy Susan Ullas & Farheen Hussain TNN

Bengaluru:29.01.2021

From the time the nationwide lockdown was imposed, educationists had warned of serious learning loss in children if schools remain closed for a long time. With children back on campuses now — regular classes for grades 10 and 12 and Vidyagama sessions for grades 6-9 — those fears have come true.

When asked by the principal of his BBMP-run school, Kishan (name changed), a class 10 pupil, said: “I can’t recall the multiplication table for three.” The principal told TOI: “Learning loss is real. We have to teach them from scratch. Even before Covid, we had to put in a lot of effort and things have gotten worse since the lockdown.”

The school has now assigned a mentor for each child. The principal said that while the lockdown made it worse, the problem began because of the no-detention policy. “Last year too, there were no exams and all students were promoted,” the principal said.

Other schools too are taking extra measures to bridge the learning gap. Teachers say allowing schools to function for a full day will help complete the syllabus and schools can then start revisions.

Raju B, principal, Sir M Visvesvaraya BBMP Public School and Composite PU College, said students were unable to follow lessons when they returned to schools. He said most students had either returned to their villages or were busy with other things and did not have the time to study. “We have been teaching them from the first chapter and we make sure to go back to topics whenever a student asks,” he said.

The loss, teachers point out, is mainly in maths and science, especially with formulae and multiplication tables. “Unlike parents in private schools, our children do not get help in academics from their parents,” said Jayalakshmi G, a teacher in the higher primary section of a government school in Kalkere. “Many of them have had no association with studies in these 10 months. It’s out duty to start at the beginning with them.”

The head mistress of a government high school in East Bengaluru, said: “With such a long gap, we did expect children to forget what they learnt in previous years. Our one hour class is now divided into two: Thirty minutes is spent on refreshing portions from the previous years while the other 30 goes into teaching competencies of this year.”

But children being children, teachers believe they will learn fast. Most lessons are taught through activities. “They quickly grasp and recall. That’s a relief,” said Sharadamma, head mistress, Government Higher Primary School, K Channasandra.

Students too are thrilled they are back on track. Gautham C, a II PUC commerce student in Sir M Visvesvaraya BBMP Public School and Composite PU College, said returning to the campus has been the best thing that has happened. “We had lost touch with everything and were worried about facing exams. It’s a relief that schools reopened,” he said.

Man orders mobile for wife online, gets 2 soaps

Man orders mobile for wife online, gets 2 soaps

Vadodara:29.01.2021

Viral Brahmbhatt wanted to gift his wife a mobile phone on her birthday. But when he opened the parcel delivered to his house on January 23, he was shocked. The e-commerce giant sent two bars of washing soaps instead of the phone.

Brahmbhatt, a resident of Jetalpur Road, has given an application for complaint at JP Road police station against the online retail chain and another Ahmedabad-based firm for cheating him.

“Brahmbhatt has video recording of the entire incident. As the packet had many layers, he patiently opened them but found two soaps inside. This amounts to cheating,” said advocate Arpita Joshi, Brahmbhatt’s lawyer.

She has also sent a legal notice to the delivery firm on behalf of Brahmbhatt detailing the incident. TNN

A bonanza from tragedy not on, HC to job-seeker

HC DISMISSES PLEA

A bonanza from tragedy not on, HC to job-seeker

K.Kaushik@timesgroup.com

Madurai:29.01.2021

Observing that the dependents of a deceased employee cannot be permitted to convert a tragedy into a bonanza, the Madras high court dismissed a plea seeking compassionate appointment as his father who was a government employee died during service.

The court was hearing a petition filed by D Sivakumar challenging the order which had rejected his application for compassionate appointment.

The petitioner’s father R Devaraj, who was working as a helper in Tangedco, died during service in 2001. At the time of Devaraj’s death, the petitioner was 10 years old and no other eligible people were available in the family to apply for compassionate appointment.

The petitioner submitted an application seeking compassionate appointment in 2009, however, it was rejected on the ground that the application was not submitted within three years of the death of his father.

Justice M Dhandapani observed that the electricity board had made it clear that legal heirs who have completed 18 years of age alone are to be treated as eligible for appointment on compassionate grounds.

The judge observed that the purpose of providing employment on compassionate basis is to mitigate the hardship of the family which has arisen due to the death of the employee. If the compassionate appointment is treated as one more source of recruitment, then it will be violative of Article 16 of the Constitution, observed the judge.The judge said that in the light of the above, the present petition is wholly unsustainable.

Jaya memorial deaths: Solatium to kin of cadres

REGION DIGEST

29.01.2021

Jaya memorial deaths: Solatium to kin of cadres

The AIADMK on Thursday announced solatium of ₹3 lakh each to the bereaved families of two party cadres who had died after taking part in the inaugural function of the memorial built for former chief minister Jayalalithaa in Chennai on Wednesday. K Mookan of Sirugudi panchayat in Dindigul district died of a cardiac arrest after taking part in the event, while A Mariappan of Marachireddipatti branch unit of the party in Trichy district was killed in an accident while returning home after taking part in the event.

TTV plea on attack on TN fishermen in AP: Attacks on deep sea fishermen from Tamil Nadu by those from neighbouring states has become an issue of concern. On Thursday, AMMK founder T T V Dhinakaran tweeted that 180 TN fishermen were attacked and taken into custody by fishermen in Andhra Pradesh. Dhinakaran said the state government should intervene and put an end to the highhandedness of AP fishermen.

OPS son wishes Sasikala: Deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam’s younger son V P Jayapradeep on Thursday wished Jayalalithaa’s close aide, V K Sasikala, a speedy recovery. Jayapradeep does not hold any position in the AIADMK. In a statement, Jayapradeep wished the leader, who was released from prison on Wednesday, but is undergoing treatment for Covid-19.

Rajini aide to start party:

Actor Rajinikanth's associate Ra Arjunamurthy on Thursday said he would launch a political party in a week that would work towards ushering in the much-needed change on the political and governance front in Tamil Nadu. He appealed to the members of Rajini Makkal Mandram to consider joining him.

Discrepancy in engg certificates leaves students confused

Discrepancy in engg certificates leaves students confused

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:29.01.2021

Discrepancies in dates mentioned in course completion certificates and provisional degree certificates have left many engineering graduates and their parents confused. While colleges have mentioned in the course completion certificates that students appeared for their final semester exam in September 2020, Anna University’s provisional degree certificates mention the month of passing the year as May 2020.

“How can a student pass the exam in May if he appeared for it only in September?” a parent asked.

The discrepancy has left many students worried, particularly those who planned to continue to study abroad, as they fear foreign universities may reject their applications due to this.

Some professors from engineering colleges reiterated this and said this won’t be an issue if the employer or higher education institute the graduate is applying to verifies the document.

Odd semesters always end in December and even semesters in May. “Even in years when the state faces elections, the semester exams are conducted in June and July. But the month of passing is always mentioned as May,” a professor from a city college said.

“If an employer or higher education institute wants to verify the genuineness of the certificate, they can verify it only with the university. So, students will not face any issues,” he added.

When contacted, university officials said the provisional degree certificates were issued for the academic session that ended in May 2020. “The academic year ended in May. Only the exams were conducted in September in view of the pandemic. If the university mentions that the academic session ended in September, students may get into trouble in the future as recruiters and foreign universities may consider them to be arrear candidates. The course duration is only four years and it cannot be extended,” an official from Anna University told TOI.

Anna University is preparing to conduct the November-December 2020 exam in February. “In the mark sheets, we would only mention that it’s the November-December 2020 exam and not February exam.” he added.

The academic year ended in May. Only the exams were conducted in September in view of the pandemic. If the university mentions that the academic session ended in September, students may get into trouble in the future as recruiters and foreign universities may consider them to be arrear candidates

OFFICIAL

Anna University

TN selection panel gets SC nod for mop up counselling

TN selection panel gets SC nod for mop up counselling

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:29.01.2021

The state selection committee has invited applications students who have qualified NEET 2020 and are willing to take the NRI lapsed seats under the management quota in self-financing medical and dental colleges.

At least five MBBS seats in government medical colleges and 112 seats in self-financing medical institutions were vacant in TN this year after two rounds of counselling. The committee said it has now got approval from the Supreme Court to allot these seats to students within a week during the mop up as the NMC deadline for admission ended on January 15. There are 12 undergraduate dental seats in government colleges and 447 management seats in self-financing dental colleges vacant.

On Thursday, committee secretary G Selvarajan did not say what it would do about the five government seats, but has asked more candidates to apply.

Chidambaram institute is now a govt med college

Chidambaram institute is now a govt med college

Cuddalore:  29.01.2021 

Nearly 50 days after students of Rajah Muthiah Medical College Hospital attached to Annamalai University in Chidambaram began their protest demanding the state to reduce fee to bring it on a par with other government medical colleges, TN on Wednesday brought it under the health and family welfare department to treat it as a government medical college for Cuddalore district. TNN

Fresh order to be issued on status of staff, fee structure

The college management had suspended classes and closed hostels from January 21 and told students to vacate the hostels.

Other RMMCH institutions Rani Meyyamma college of nursing and Rajah Muthiah dental college and hospital too were handed over to the department.

The order issued by principal secretary Apoorva said the health and family welfare department will issue a separate order on fee structure, filling up of seats, status of existing staff members and changing the affiliation to Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University from Annamalai University after obtaining concurrence from the state finance department.

Hitherto, the institutes were under the control of TN higher education department. There were 332 teaching faculty,1,426 non-teaching faculty members, and 287 pensioners and family pensioners as on November 30 last year. The students strength for the academic year was 2,293. The value of movable and immovable assets of the institutions spread across 113.21 acres was ₹249.99 crore while liabilities, including salaries, pension, stipend, PF and loans, was ₹840.93 crore.

The protesting students pointed out that RMMCH charged ₹5.6 lakh per annum for MBBS course and ₹9.6 lakh per annum for MD/MS while private unaided self-financing medical colleges charge ₹3.8 lakh per annum for MBBS and ₹3.5 lakh for MD/MS courses.

Similarly, Rajah Muthiah dental college and hospital charged ₹3.5 lakh per annum for BDS course and 7.8 lakh per annum for MDS course whereas private unaided selffinancing medical colleges charge ₹2.5 lakh per annum for both BDS and MDS courses.Other TN government colleges charge₹13,000 per annum for MBBS course, ₹30,000 per annum for MD/ MS and ₹11,610 per annum for BDS and ₹30,000 per annum for MDS.