Teachers convention for qualitative development of education

Bhubaneswar, Dec 16 (UNI) A convention of teachers will be held here in the second week of next month in a bid to create environment for the qualitative development of education from the primary to college level.

United Teachers Association President Bikram Kesari Verma, the organiser of the convention said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Finance Minister Prafulla Ghadhei and Higher Education Minister Samir Dey will attend the convention.

Mr Verma said since the quality of education in the state was showing a downward trend the UTA planned to organise the convention with an objective to create public opinion jointly by the parents, teachers and students for its improvement.

Mr Verma said during the convention the UTA would submit a memorandum to the Chief Minister urging him to ban opening up of any new private school or college from 2008 onwards, constitute an elementary education board and welfare fund for teachers and students.

The association will also request the government to introduce agriculture and yoga as a curriculumn, make Oriya as a compulsory subject in english medium schools and to provide free education to 30 per cent students belonging to poor families.

The association would also urge the Chief Minister not to open schools under different schemes and confined it to two categories- government and private schools, he said.

In addition to it the government would also be urged to fill up the vacancies and solve the problems of teaching and non teaching staff through negotiations, Mr Verma said UNI