Surat schools tell politicians their time is up

Surat schools tell politicians their time is up
MILIND GHATWAI

SURAT, AUGUST 11: It's a small step but a big threat to politicians and their speech-writers. Sixty schools in Surat have decided to promote punctuality, come what may. They have decided to begin and end school functions on time, and ensure that all politicians get the message.

But that's not something they are waiting to find out. Under the project, ``Samaybaddhata Mateni Pratibadhhata'' (commitment to punctuality), which began on January 1, fewer and fewer invitations are being sent to politicians who usually drone on for hours, after having arrived late.

``When we do call them, we insist they should abide by the time-limit,'' says South Gujarat University's Head of the Department of Education Shashikant Shah, the man behind the project. The participating schools are not only expected to keep deadlines for functions but also display the same attitude in work.

Many of these schools had fully backed Shah in his 1998 project, `Television Vinanu Sapthah' (a week without television) and 1999 project, `Aavo Vachiye Ane Vichariye' (let's read and think).

Under the first project, students and their families were asked to keep away from the idiot box and be together in the evenings, visit a park and do everything else that the television did not allow them to do. Students who took part in the second project were expected to read newspapers and books over six months, compile 50 good articles and submit the file to their respective schools.

Shah says the success of these projects prompted him to begin the latest but it was fuelled by some outrage. A function organised to felicitate meritorious students was delayed by 90 minutes because the politician who was invited to hand over prizes arrived late. ``It was an insult to the students,'' he says. He, in fact, wrote ``a nasty letter'' in a newspaper about the incident.

Principal of Shantiniketan High School Hasmukh Patel recalls that when they invited former mayor Bhikhabhai Boghra for their annual function, they made it clear that they would like to end it on time. ``We exceeded the limit only be 10 minutes,'' Patel says proudly.

Boghra supports the initiative, claiming, ``I was always punctual during my term.'' He says samaypalan brings discipline which is must for progress.He admits that politicians often ramble and speak on any subject other than the one given.

District Education Officer P.L.Dave, who had sent letters to schools asking them to participate, says, ``It was necessary as teachers (too) come late.'' He has attended many school functions recently and most of them have ended on time. ``I always finish my speech in three minutes. If I can't convey my thoughts in three minutes, I have no business to give presidential speeches,'' he argues. Now he has proposed that the schools should do away with the practice of presenting bouquets.

Principal of Bhulka Bhavan Meenakshi Desai says her school has not faced any problem as ``we never invite politicians and ministers. Either the senior-most teacher or any of our former students who have done well presides over flag-hoisting functions.'' Since the project began, the school has been insisting on ending the parents-teachers meetings on time. ``The project has been effective in administrative matters too,'' she adds.

Kadiwala Bunki High School, with its 1,467 students, always had the problem of students reporting late due to some reason or the other. ``We have been able to improve our performance by 50 to 60 per cent,'' Principal Ramesh Patel says.

Buoyed by the results, the schools are planning to keep the project going though it will officially end on December 31. You can never have too much of a good thing.