RANCHI: Jamtara district education superintendent in Jharkhand has passed directions to ensure that weekly holidays are given on Sunday instead of Fridays in schools.
The DSE, issuing show-cause notices to block education officials, has also asked them explain why they did not inform their seniors about it earlier.
Notably, as many as 100 schools under Karmatand and Narayanpur blocks in Jamtara were being forced by the villagers to observe weekly holiday on Fridays instead of Sundays, citing reasons that Muslims are in majority and hence, it should function accordingly. The change in weekly holiday could also be seen mentioned on the notice boards of these schools.
The report was also carried prominently in The New Indian Express.
In a letter addressed to school education and literacy secretary on July 9, the district education superintendent had informed that “Barring the schools notified as ‘Urdu schools', all other schools have been directed to ensure that Sundays are observed as weekly holidays.” Show-cause notices have also been issued to the concerned block education officials asking them why they did not inform the department about such practices earlier, it added.
In the showcase notices issued to the block education officers by the DSE, it has been asked that despite the schools being visited by them regularly, they failed to inform the district education office that many of the schools are being run on the lines of ‘Urdu’ schools due to which such a situation arose. “Why departmental action should not be taken against you. Therefore, you are directed to explain that under what circumstances, such kind of irresponsive approach was shown by you,” stated the letter issued to block education officers.
Principals and teachers, posted in these blocks also asserted that they have received a letter asking them to give weekly holidays on Sundays only. “We have received the letter on Monday itself with a direction to ensure that weekly holidays are given only Sundays at any cost. Immediately after receiving the letter, we held a meeting with the school management committee and other teachers and staffs on Tuesday during which we told them about it and a decision was taken to implement it from this week only”, said a teacher posted at an Utkramit High School under Karmatand Block in Jamtara, requesting anonymity. It is also being ensured that the word ‘Urdu’ is deleted, which was added deliberately by the villagers with the names of schools, he added.
According to the information received from the education department, there are 1,084 primary schools operating in the district, of which only 15 are registered in the name of Urdu schools.