Six-day week rule riles schools

PUNE: City school administrators are up in arms against the education department's recent circular on the minimum number of working days required in schools. Both principals and parents said if the government's diktat to work 220 days as against the current 180 day system is followed, it would mean following a six-day week, which would rob students of a two-day weekend that they need to rejuvenate, spend time on extra curricular activities and also to relax.
Health experts also pointed out how six classroom days can be detrimental to the health of students and can also impact family time, particularly in cases where both parents are working and get to spend quality time with their children only during weekends.
Besides, school administrators said they are now faced with the possibility of parents and teachers resisting the new rule. "We have been following the five-day week in schools for several years. Breaking away from this and including Saturday would be difficult. It will also be difficult to convince students as well as teachers. I think two days off in a week is a decent demand," said Reema Awasthi, principal of a CBSE-board school.
Another school principal of a state board school, Vinanti Kulkarni said, "This year, we kept only the first Saturday of the month as working. We received a lot of negative feedback from parents. If we keep all Saturdays working, I do not know how they will react."
Also, Saturdays are crucial on the student calendar for them to participate in extra-curricular activities and also to pursue sports or other non-academic interests. Ramesh Vaidya, principal of a state-board school in Camp said, "Even if we want to keep Saturdays working, there is resistance from students and their parents. Students want Saturday-Sunday off as many of them are engaged in sports, art and music classes on these days. So, they get to spend these days on hobbies."
Even if Saturdays are made working, school heads said they would ensure there are no classroom sessions, which keep students desk-bound through the week. "Five days is convenient for students and our association of principals is against working Saturdays. Focus on academics is fine, but physical activities must also be given importance which students participate in on Saturday and Sunday. If schools decide to conduct only extra-curricular activities on Saturdays, then there is no problem, but there should no classroom work," said Raosaheb Awari, founder, Akhil Bharatiya Secondary and Higher Secondary school principals association (West Zone).
Mahavir Mane, state director of education said, "State-board schools never had a Saturday off in the initial years. In fact, Marathi medium schools in the state still work on Saturdays, barring a few. This system was brought in by CBSE and ICSE board schools and state-board English medium school adopted it as per their convenience. It is not recommended and now with Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act, all schools will have to complete the stipulated days, for which they will have to work on Saturdays."
Health experts pointed out that students are already under a lot of pressure to outperform their peers in examinations and during schooldays. If they have to go to school on Saturdays too, that will leave them with little time for themselves. Educationists too underscored the positive role two-day weekends play in the physical and emotional growth of children.