Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, June 4

Even as it has been 12 days since summer vacation started in schools, teachers have not got a break for even a single day.

Remaining busy with admission work, especially for Class XI, they say students from their own school as well as various private ones are making a beeline for admissions. Some city schools, including those at Nehru Garden, Model Town and Ladowali Road, have been getting a lot of queries for admissions and the schools have had to set up help desks deploying senior teachers right at the entrance of the gates.

The teachers said this was the time when they were getting books from the department for distributing them free of cost to children. “We are sending messages daily to parents to collect the books of their children. Even the book supply has been erratic and the work is taking many days to get completed. We are not getting the whole lot of books in one go and the parents have to be called in again and again,” said staff.

A bigger problem for staff is the task assigned to distribute ration under the midday meal scheme to all the students studying in Classes I to VIII. Even the allocation made to all schools as the cost of cooking meals has to be reimbursed in all the bank accounts of the students. “This is such a tedious job and even the bank staff does not like to cooperate with us. Going to every child’s home after making packs of ration after proper division is a Herculean task,” said teachers.

They said they got fresh circulars for new assignments almost every day. “We also have directions to keep in touch with the students for studies on a daily basis. We also have directions to use all grants by this month for the purpose of renovation of school buildings and designing its walls with colourful, educational material,” they said, adding that vacation is in name only.

A lot of queries for admissions

Some city schools, including those at Nehru Garden, Model Town and Ladowali Road, have been getting a lot of queries for admissions and the schools have had to set up help desks deploying senior teachers right at the entrance of the gates.