<p><u></u>For teachers, registration of unschooled people and training volunteers under the Navbharat Literacy Programme is now part of assigned duties. They will also help mount a search for out-of-school students, promote folk dancing and singing competitions, and organize cultural shows. Additionally, school staff will participate in surveys for the census and voter awareness programs.</p> — For teachers, registration of unschooled people and training volunteers under the Navbharat Literacy Programme is now part of assigned duties. They will also help mount a search for out-of-school students, promote folk dancing and singing competitions, and organize cultural shows. Additionally, school staff will participate in surveys for the census and voter awareness programs.

Maharashtra school education department has, for the first time, released a monthly timetable of academic and administrative activities that each govt school must complete within the year, signalling an intent to exercise more control over teachers and students.The timetable specifies slots for preparation for 10th and 12th standard boards, annual proficiency test, scholarship exams, and other competitive tests. It also lays out guidelines for students to participate in programs on such days as Keshav Sitaram Thackeray Jayanti, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Jayanti, National Resolution Day on former PM Indira Gandhi’s death anniversary and National Unity Day on Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s birth anniversary on Oct 31.

For teachers, registration of unschooled people and training volunteers under the Navbharat Literacy Programme is now part of assigned duties. They will also help mount a search for out-of-school students, promote folk dancing and singing competitions, and organize cultural shows. Additionally, school staff will participate in surveys for the census and voter awareness programs.

Mahendra Ganpule, former vice president of the Maharashtra Principals Association, said, “Undoubtedly, the document provides good structure to academic and allied programs. However, with so many different activities and initiatives planned, when will teachers actually find time to teach?”

Of 178 activities listed in the timetable, 30 involve registering students on govt portals, filling out application forms, preparing and generating admit cards and certificates for multiple exams, and registering for govt programs like Har Ghar Tiranga and Shiksha Pe Charcha.

A govt teacher from Uran in Raigad said work is made more complex and confusing by poor coordination between various levels of govt. “Once we did a week-long govt program and planned extra classes to make up for instructional time lost. Then, immediately, another week-long govt program came.”

He said the move to give detailed, weekly instructions to schools on how to operate is unprecedented. “There has to be some freedom. Govt must provide guidelines, each school has to make decisions based on local conditions,” he added. The pitfalls in centralising initiatives without appreciation for ground conditions are many, he added. “Once there was an initiative for students to make paper lanterns with a flame to help them float up. Only problem was govt decided to do it in July, and the lanterns came down in a watery mess.”