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Headmasters in quandary over snacks plan
The headmasters of State-run high schools appear to be in a fix over government’s decision to provide evening snacks to all the students preparing for the SSC public examinations as they find it tough to mobilise funds for the purpose.
In a bid to improve pass percentage in the SSC exams, the Department of School Education has directed the District Education Officers (DEOs) and the headmasters of all government schools to serve snacks to the students who are preparing for the SSC public examinations by mobilising funds from local philanthropists and village elders
Hyderabad: The headmasters of State-run high schools appear to be in a fix over government’s decision to provide evening snacks to all the students preparing for the SSC public examinations as they find it tough to mobilise funds for the purpose.
In a bid to improve the not too impressive pass percentage in the SSC exams, recently the Department of School Education has directed the District Education Officers (DEOs) and the headmasters of all government schools to serve snacks to the students who are preparing for the SSC public examinations mobilising funds from local philanthropists and village elders.
Further it said that if no one comes forward, the expenditure can be met from accumulated interest amount on Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) grants at Rs 2 per each student a day. Though the plan was aimed at boosting the energy levels of the students preparing for the exams in the run up to the public examinations slated to begin on March 21, the decision has not gone down well with the headmasters as they now find it difficult to manage the expenses of snacks every day with the meagre amount earmarked for the plan.
“It’s embarrassing to ask someone to show a gesture towards the students’ cause. Instead the government should allocate special funds for the purpose,” the Democratic Teachers Federation (DTF) State president M Raghushankar Reddy told The Hans India.
Moreover, how was it possible to provide snacks like fruits, boiled bobbarlu (cowpeas), chana, palli (groundnut), puffed rice with palli, wheat rava kesari, pulihora and sprouted Bengal gram with tomatoes and onion pieces (prescribed by authorities) with Rs 2 a day per each student, he pointed out. He demanded the government that they hike it to at least Rs 5 a day per each student.
“As of now we are providing snacks to students with the help of our staff who pooled some money,” a headmaster of Wardhannapet mandal said, who wished not to be named. Asserting that many philanthropists and organisations like Lion’s Club and Rotary Club would come forward to support the snacks programme, Director of School Education G Kishan said: “Rs 2 a day per student is an amount that the administration was providing in addition to the gesture extended by the philanthropists.”
While the overall SSC pass percentage in the State in 2015 was 77.56, the performance of government schools was even more discouraging with only 63.39 per cent. The cumulative pass percentage in 2015 had recorded a slump by nearly 8 per cent compared to the 2014 results. It’s learnt that of the total 5.60 lakh students appearing for the public exam this year, about 2.50 lakh are from government schools.
Adepu Mahender
