Close on the heel of Union government ordering for the hoisting of national flags in all central universities, singing of the national anthem in the state run primary schools has been made mandatory by the UP government. The Union HRD minister after the February 9 incident at JNU where student’s leaders were booked under sedition charges had ordered for the hoisting of national flag in all central universities.
The state government has issued annual calendar of activities for the primary schools and the students will now have to sing the national anthem `Jan Gan Mana ‘every day. According to the government order issued by the secretary basic education singing of the national anthem, written by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore has been made compulsory in basic education schools.
Also, in the new academic calendar for the new session, it has also been said that on every Wednesday, schools will have to observe ‘swachhata diwas’ (Cleanliness Day). On this day the teachers will apprise the students about the virtues of sanitation and hygiene.
A sports period has also been made mandatory for the first four working days, while Scout and Guide programme would be undertaken on the two remaining weekdays. The state government also aims at promoting other extra-curricular activities like debates, painting, antakshari and others.
The GO teachers are required to be present in the schools for two hundred days during the academic session and teach for 800 hours.
For upper primary says that the primary schools the standards are 220 days and 1,000 hours respectively.