Full-day schooling on cards?

Full-day schooling on cards?
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, APRIL 12
With the central government’s Right to Education (RTE) Act stressing on longer teaching hours per week, the possibility of longer schooling hours in Goa cannot be ruled out in the near future.
As the state is gearing up to implement the RTE Act, touted as a major reform in the education sector, various issues are being debated vis-à-vis the main features of the Act. The Education Department nonetheless, appears to be getting ready to implement RTE in the state.
The main question being asked is whether schools will have to have extended hours to the point of having ‘full day schools’ with timings such as 9 to 4 or so, as is being done in most parts of the country.
Incidentally, during the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regime, then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had suggested longer schooling hours which was as per recommendations made by top educationists. But the government had not gone ahead with it as there was strong opposition mainly from school managements and teachers  on the grounds that the schools had no proper infrastructure for a full-day school.
Going by RTE, the teaching hours may have to be seven and half hours.  Per week, there will have to be around  45 teaching hours, sources said.
A minimum 200 days a year will be made instructional days for primary and 220 days for secondary, sources said.
The school management committee or the local authority will identify the drop-outs or out of school children above six years of age and admit them in classes appropriate to their age after giving special training.
The Act makes it a right of every child to get education. The Act makes it obligatory for the appropriate governments to ensure that every child gets free elementary education.
The Act mandates that even private educational institutions have to reserve 25 per cent seats for children from weaker sections.