TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Following an outrage from schools over making it compulsory to hear Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Teacher’s Day speech on September 5, the State Education Department has announced that the programme is ‘voluntary’ and ‘for the educational institutions’ to decide on participation.
It, however said, all schools registered with Education Department have agreed to take part in the programme. Of the total 1790, 1756 schools would be viewing Modi’s 105-minute speech on TV or big screen while the balance 34 would be listening to it on radio. The address is scheduled to take place from 3 pm to 4.45 pm on Friday.
Speaking to Herald, Education Director GP Bhat said the programme is not compulsory as announced by Union HRD Minister Smriti Iraniji but being an educational programme it is for the school management to take a call. “It is a voluntary programme. The final call has to be taken by the educational institutions,” he said.
Bhat said schools have been allowed to adjust their timing as required to make it possible for children to view PM’s address.
“Wherever required, as per the wishes of school management, both heads of the school and Education Department have requested panchayats, municipalities and sports complexes to allow viewing of programme in their convention halls,” the director said.
Herald had on Wednesday pointed how schools were in a dilemma over Education Department’s circular, making the participation ‘enjoined’ and ‘binding’. Directions were issued to all heads of institutions and their managements to make necessary arrangement for TVs or big screens either in schools or community halls of the village or municipality and that those schools with no facility, would contact the panchayats and neighbouring houses to conduct the programme.
