After summer vacations the schools of the State would reopen on Saturday. All 18,000 Government schools of State would also open on the day.
The education department has made some changes in the school timings of both primary and secondary schools. From July 1, the schools of the State would start at 8 am and would operate till 1 pm (summer timing). In winters the schools would function from 9.30 am to 3 pm.
In an important decision the department has proposed similar time schedule for both primary and secondary schools of the state.
In an order, the additional director secondary education, V S Rawat has asked all the Chief Education Officers (CEO) and District Education Officers (DEOs) to ensure that all schools under their jurisdiction strictly adhere to new timings.
The smooth start of new session is also a challenge for the department as the new education minister Arvind Pandey recently announced slew of measures to create a positive academic environment in the schools.
The minister has categorically stated that the teachers should reside within a radius of 8 km of the school they are posted.
This order is being seen as a measure to put a check on the practice of teachers undertaking long distances daily to reach to the schools they are posted in.
The minister has also announced his plans to implement an appropriate dress code for the teachers.
Incidentally both these decisions are being opposed by the teachers and their associations. However the teachers are questioning the propriety of imposing the restriction of residing at the place of posting in a scenario when biometric attendance system is placed in all the schools. They are also opposing the department’s intention to impose a dress code on them.
The department would also be affected by removal of about 5000 guest teachers in the government schools. These teachers were removed after an order of High Court (HC) and in their absence the academic environment in the schools is bound to be affected.
Though the education department officials are tight lipped sources revealed that a massive inspection drive of the school would be undertaken on the very first day of opening of the schools.