Primary school students in the state get only six days of summer vacation. There was already resentment among students and parents about this. Now teachers are also extremely upset as cuts have been made to the upcoming Makar Sankranti and Jagaddhatri Puja holidays. Their demand is that primary schools have had the tradition of giving holidays during Poush Sankranti for more than five and a half decades. This is the first time this tradition has been broken.
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Teachers on Gangasagar duty face added pressure
Many teachers from primary schools in South 24 Parganas have to serve as volunteers for three days during the Gangasagar fair. They are also facing problems due to the new holiday guidelines. Along with vast areas including Chandannagar, Bhadreshwar and Rishra in Hooghly, region-based Jagaddhatri Puja is also held in Krishnanagar in Nadia and other districts. Questions are being raised as to why the Primary Education Board has cut holidays for Makar Sankranti and Jagaddhatri Puja, when festivals and celebrations of other religions and communities are being given two days of holidays instead of one day.
Board President Gautam Pal says, "The Primary Education Board cannot give more than 65 holidays in a year. Last year, various pujas and festivals fell on Sundays and holidays, so the number of holidays was less. Therefore, there was no problem. Since that is not happening this year, we have been forced to reduce holidays for Poush Parban and Jagaddhatri Puja."
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However, Bhimsen Bishwawal, advisor to the West Bengal Primary Teachers' Association and retired teacher, has a counter-claim: "I taught in primary schools from 1973. This is the first notice to keep schools open during Poush Sankranti. The board should not keep the holiday matter in their own hands but leave it to the District Primary School Council (DPSC). This would also solve the holiday problem."
Multiple DPSC chairmen, who wished to remain unnamed, question: Who exactly determined the board's obligation of 65 holidays? However, South 24 Parganas DPSC Chairman Ajit Nayek says, "According to the board's holiday list, the district has only one holiday at hand. We have already given that the day after district sports. There is no way to give more holidays."
