Started with much fanfare four years ago, school education department’s winter tutorial programme couldn’t continue this year due to the disinterest shown by the department. The department failed to set up winter tutorial centres for students of government schools forcing them to opt for private tuitions.
The winter tutorial programme was launched in 2015 with an aim to provide free winter coaching classes to the students from class 3rd to 12th in schools. “Winter camps were set up for providing free coaching to students from class 3rd primary to 7th and winter tutorial was set up for students from 8th to 12th,” an official said.
The official said around 10 winter camps were setup in each education zone and winter tutorial was set up as per demand of the students. “But the initiative worked successfully only during 2015 and 2016,” the official said.
To run these winter tutorials, the department used services of its in-service teachers, masters and lecturers to teach the students during winter months. The teachers were given earned leave of two months in lieu of the services.
“But the teachers engaged in this programme were given earned leave for only 2015 and 2016 winters. This created crises in the department and the teachers lost interest,” the official said.
This year the department has opened a few winter tutorials centres only up to class 10th while as students of class 11th and 12th are forced to opt for private tuitions in their vicinity or city and towns where the same government school teachers take tuition classes against a whopping amount charged from the students.
Earlier in 2015 and 2016, the winter tutorial programme received enormous response from the students and the teachers actively participated as well. Most of the government schools used to have academic activities during winter months.
“But the initiative was sabotaged by a group of teachers and officials to allow former to take private tuition classes,” an official said.
Sabotaging of winter tutorials has raised questions on the policy makers as the move has conveniently allowed teachers to opt for private tuitions which was earlier banned by department.
Also, an order was issued by the director school education Kashmir (DSEK) on December 22 last year wherein all the chief education officers (CEOs) were asked to setup winter tutorial up to class 10th, if needed, at centrally located schools.
“This year it was a half-hearted attempt as no permanent faculty was engaged in this initiative. So it didn’t work well on ground and all the students opted for private tuitions,” the official said.
In the order the CEOs were asked to engage “willing” contractual academic arrangement lecturers, teachers, Samagra Shiksha subject specific teachers and NYKs deployed to education department as faculty for these centres.
“The number of centres to be opened and classes to be taught should be decided on the basis of available teaching faculty. Priority may be given to classes 6th to 10th for English, Mathematics and Science subjects,” the order reads.
Director school education Kashmir (DSEK) G N Itoo didn’t respond to calls from this newspaper.