As Ludhiana govt school students gear up for midterms, syllabi far from complete

{Scheduled from September 25} Mission Samarth under fire
The midterm examinations for government school students across the district are set to begin on September 25 even as the syllabus for classes up to eighth is yet to be covered.
The syllabus, which was to be covered over the past four months, stands delayed due to the state government’s ‘Mission Samarth’ initiative.
Punjab Government School Teachers’ Union secretary Tehal Singh Sarabha said the teachers are being asked to cover four months’ worth of syllabus in just one month, terming it as an impossible task.
“Last year, we completed the syllabus by August and also had time for revision. This year, we are lagging far behind,” he said.
He pointed out that the results of midterms are used for internal assessments in board exams and the rushed schedule might impact students’ performance.
A Class 8 student, wishing not to be named, said, “This is our board class, and we are not at all prepared for midterms. We are unable to learn the lessons which we used to cover in three months. Mission Samarth 2.0, launched in April, is aimed at enhancing leadership and effectiveness in schools across the state.
However, classes under the initiative were hit by early summer vacations announced by the state government in the wake of a heatwave.
This resulted in Mission Samarth being extended for a month. Lectures for classes 3 to 5 continued till August end, throwing regular syllabus out of gear.
A principal from a government school, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “Teachers are under pressure as the syllabus is not complete. With less than 10 days before the exams, we expected the syllabus to be reduced. But that has not happened. The effects will show in the exam results.”
A Class 5 student said, “My parents initially wanted me to enrol in a private school as our time was being wasted learning as we learned the same thing over and over again for four months.”