In another case reported on Sunday near AGB Layout, a 21-year girl and three children went missing suspiciously…reports Asian Lite News.
Seven students, including a college girl went missing in Bengaluru, in two separate incidents spread over two days, police sources said on Monday. According to the letters recovered from their houses, the police said the teenagers left home as they were not interested in studies.
Parikshith, Nandan and Kiran, residents of Soundarya Layout in Hesaraghatta Road studying Class 10 have gone missing since Saturday morning. The parents searched for them till evening and complained to the police.
The police recovered letters left behind by the boys. They have mentioned that they do not have an interest in studies and they will come back after earning a good name and money, police said.
Three boys have written separate letters. “We are more interested in sports than studies. Even if you pressure us, we do not have the interest to pursue studies. We will build our careers in the field of sports. We like the game Kabaddi. We will earn a good name in this field and return after excelling and making a name in that field,” their letters mentioned.
They have also addressed the parents not to search them. The jurisdictional Bagalagunte police have taken up an investigation based on the inputs of neighbours and people in the surrounding areas and CCTV cameras.
In another case reported on Sunday near AGB Layout, a 21-year girl and three children went missing suspiciously.
Amruthavarshini (21), a student of BCA Third semester, Royan Sidharth, Chintan and Bhoomi, all 12-year old kids and residents of Crystal Apartment went missing.
All four left their homes on Sunday morning and have not returned. The parents have lodged a complaint with the Soladevanahalli police. They have told th epolice that their children spent most of the time with Amruthavarshini and she has taken the kids along.
Meanwhile, a note has been found from the home of one of the children in which it is mentioned to carry slippers, toothbrushes, toothpaste, water bottle, cash and sports items. The police are investigating the case.
The first batch of girls in Mysuru will give a demo in presence of Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Tuesday (Sept 27) at Mysuru…reports Ashoka MK
After a series of attacks on women in Karnataka, the state Police department is all set to address the issue with an ambitious project of training all school, and college-going girls with unarmed combat skills.
Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) has undertaken a mission to put school girls and college-going women in combat mode to enable them to face any tough situation single-handedly. KSRP ADGP Alok Kumar says they want to include RWAs and housewives in training.
As many as 3,000 young women have been trained in self-defence in Karnataka in 6 months as part of this initiative. The girls will be taught how to attack, how to break loose, how to gain strength and how to stay strong and positive. They will also be taught to render kicks and punches so strongly that makes the attacker unconscious.
The first batch of girls in Mysuru will give a demo in presence of Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Tuesday (Sept 27) at Mysuru.
KSRP ADGP Alok Kumar who has launched the initiative explained that the project has been started 6 months ago and then Home Minister who is presently the Chief Minister, Basavaraj Bommai had kicked off the programme.
“We are doing the training programme at so many places. We started from Bengaluru. Here we covered 16 schools and colleges, more than 1,000 girl students belonging to different schools and colleges have been trained. Similarly in Belagavi, Kalaburgi and tomorrow (Tuesday) we are going to have a demo of school girls,” he said.
“Till now more than 3,000 students have been trained, we want to continue with this, at least in urban and semi-urban areas. Such types of incidents take place mostly in urban and semi-urban areas. There is anonymity and unknown people come there and do some mischief,” he said.
In rural areas, they can’t afford to do it as they are known to people. So, if they do something they will complain to their parents. That fear is not there in urban areas. “So our focus is on urban and semi-urban areas. We want to cover the whole of the state. One or two states have started it, but not carried on so vigorously. We have covered it since one-and-a-half months in other places and since 6 months in Bengaluru,” he explains.
So, care has been taken that the training is not symbolic. It should make the girls capable that if a situation arises they should really be in a position to face it mentally and physically. It’s not that they do it for demo purposes and when the real situation arises they forget everything. With that objective in mind, we are imparting a one-month training programme, he noted.
They will be given unarmed combat training. The girls will be using the power of their hands, legs and head to tackle the situation. It is not like you are having lathi or something. You don’t use any arms, when you are travelling or going somewhere you don’t carry anything. But, immediately you have the capability or skill to face them using various techniques, using hands, feet and head, he said.
He said that the response is good. So many girl students are coming forward. Covid has put a spanner in our programme. We launched it on International Women’s Day in March. But, again, the second wave came. Now, things are better.
In Bengaluru city we are proposing to train RWA’s women, housewives by KSRP girls. In some places we are taking the help of local trainers also, Alok Kumar said.
Janardhan R, the Commandant of the 5th Batallion, Mysuru, explained that more than 500 girl students of schools and colleges have already been trained. The police department has tied up with the Wasakayi Martial Arts institution. Even policemen’s daughters who have a black belt in Karate are also training the girls, he added.
Along with students, physical teachers are also being trained. They can pursue the training in future. “We have advised them to include them in their curriculum,” he said.
Jyothi Parande, KSRP inspector who is training girl students in Belagavi says, the training is given to girls before or after school hours. “The training is such that, the girls will be able to deliver punches and kicks so powerful that the opposite person becomes unconscious. The girls will be able to tackle them, even if they have a weapon,” she explained.
The girls are contacting us and showing interest to join self-defence classes, she adds.
K’taka Police (IANS)
Anjali, a 9th standard student from Mysuru explains she did not feel so safe before training. “I learnt how to be positive,” she said.
“I am feeling proud. I have to cover some distance to reach school. My parents used to be scared. Now they are not,” says Soujanya. B, another student.
Disha said she enjoyed the training. I thank trainer Krishnamurthy sir. I have been taught how to attack, how to break loose, how to gain strength and how to stay strong and positive.
Dubai Schools will ensure both Emirati students and students of other nationalities will have access to modern education in science and technology at an affordable cost…reports Asian Lite News
H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai visited Dubai Schools-Al Barsha to review the progress of the Dubai Schools project.
H.H. Sheikh Hamdan visits schools
He was accompanied by Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum; and Secretary-General of The Executive Council and Chairman of the Supervisory Steering Committee of Dubai Schools Abdulla Al Basti.
His Highness reviewed the education processes of Dubai Schools, a project that he launched in March 2021 to create a new Emirati schooling model that provides a global standard of education rooted in national values.
H.H. Sheikh Hamdan visits schools
H.H SHEIKH HAMDAN, DUBAI CROWN PRINCE AND CHAIRMAN OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, DUBAI: “Quality education is critical to personality development and the inculcation of creativity and innovation. We have developed an exceptional Emirati schooling model to achieve our future ambitions. Dubai is entering a new phase in which its education sector will follow international best practices and maintain the highest global benchmarks, while also upholding our Emirati and Arab identity.”
Sheikh Hamdan toured the classes and facilities of the school and was briefed about the progress of the project. His Highness directed the Dubai Schools project to create the conditions for more students to benefit from its advanced schooling system by forging partnerships with private schools and educational service providers.
H.H. Sheikh Hamdan visits schools
The opening of Dubai Schools in Mirdif and Al Barsha, in partnership with Taaleem Company, formed part of the first of many phases of the Dubai Schools project. In August, HH Sheikh Hamdan issued directives to increase the number of students enrolled in Dubai Schools by 50%. The initial enrollment target of 800 students for the 2021-22 academic year has been increased to 1,200.
The project aims to build government-sponsored schools that are operated by the private sector according to global standards. Dubai Schools will ensure both Emirati students and students of other nationalities will have access to modern education in science and technology at an affordable cost. Through public-private partnerships, Dubai Schools seeks to enhance the emirate’s rise as an educational destination.
While his parents remain undecided on the future course of action, the pandemic has added to their worries…reports Tazeen Qureshy.
Even as the Covid-19 pandemic has caused severe damage to the education system in the country, the students in Odisha are facing a challenge of a different kind. The Odisha government has been on a spree to shut schools with a low enrolment of students.
It started in 2014 when close to 200 schools with low student strength were shut. In 2019, close to 1,000 schools with less than 10 students were either merged or closed down. In fact, the state government had planned to shut close to 14,000 schools in phases, but the number was reduced to half last year after the issue was taken up by the Right to Education (RTE) Forum and opposition parties.
Debendra Mahakud (nine) of Kaptipada block in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha, is a fourth standard student in Saharasahi Primary school, which is barely 100 metres from his house. Prior to the establishment of this school, the village children had to cross a patch of forest to attend the nearest school in a nearby village. To ward off inconvenience in commuting, the state government had established the Saharasahi school a decade back. But now, the primary school faces closure due to low student strength. The next option for Debendra is another school which is 3 km away from his house. Though the classes are currently suspended due to the pandemic, his father, a daily wage labourer, is sceptical of continuing education when the classes resume.
“I am not sure if my son can continue his education. The new school is far away and I can’t let him travel alone. When he was studying in the old school, I could keep an eye on him and ensure he attended classes. But it will be difficult to keep a watch on him if he goes to the new school. He is a young boy and there are chances that he might skip classes. Also, I am not very convinced about his safety as he has to cover a patch of forest to reach the new school,” said his father.
While his parents remain undecided on the future course of action, the pandemic has added to their worries.
“He has already lost one year of proper study lessons even though he has been promoted to class IV as per the guidelines. There were some students in our village who took tuition, but since we couldn’t afford it, my son will remain behind them.”
Grassroots level activists who have worked in the field of education believe these changes will only encourage drop-outs.
“In remote areas, the people are usually not into educating their children. The kids start work at a young age and contribute to the household income. It had taken a lot to convince the villagers to send their children to schools and provide them with education. By shutting down schools, accessibility will become an issue and it will lead to drop-outs especially among the girl children,” said Amar Ranjan Bhoi, associated with a local organisation.
In its defence, the government says that closure is inevitable in some cases as it is practically difficult to implement mid-day meal schemes and appoint teachers in schools with low student strength. But, parents and experts say the reason has to do with the quality of education.
Shehnaz, a VI standard student, explained the low enrolment problem. She used to study in Raghunathpur primary school in Dharamshala block of Jajpur district but opted out in 2018. She said the school had only one teacher and they didn’t have regular classes. Like her, many other students withdrew their admission and got themselves enrolled in another school 2 km away from their village. In 2019, the school was shut down due to low student strength.
“My previous school was 200 metres away from my house. But, the teaching was not good. One teacher had been appointed and he would take classes at his own convenience. I informed my parents who then decided to change schools. Many other students from the area followed suit. So, the strength of Raghunathpur school came down and was shut. The problem is with the education quality,” she said.
While Shehnaz is among the fortunate ones whose parents have agreed to send their daughter to school despite the distance, other students have not been so lucky. Either the kids are too young to be sent to school alone or the transport cost is higher.
To address the issue of commuting, the government has proposed a ‘transportation cost’ based on the attendance of the students, but experts say that won’t solve the problem.
“The problem is the government is trying to look into solutions without looking at the actual issue. The issue here is low enrolment in schools and why it is happening. Without addressing this, the government is focussing on transportation. The reality is that there are no adequate teachers nor proper classes. So, it is obvious that the students are dropping out. Even if the government bears the transportation cost, how it can be sure that students staying in tribal areas will attend classes. In tribal areas, the terrain is not easy, so even if they get money, they will have to wade through forests and rivers just to attend school. Practically, this won’t be possible and they will drop out,” said Anil Pradhan of RTE Forum.
After protests by activists and political parties, the government has ‘officially’ put the school closure decision on hold. But field workers say, on the ground, the implementation is on.
“It is difficult to gauge the exact situation due to the pandemic as all the schools are closed. But, our field officers have informed us that in several parts, the school has been shut down and the school furniture and supplies have been removed. This is a very unfortunate step,” said Pradhan.
(The author is a Bhubaneshwar-based freelance journalist and a member of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.)
More than 4,000 died of disease and neglect in the schools, according to a commission of inquiry that concluded Canada had committed “cultural genocide.”…reports Asian Lite News.
Canada’s national holiday Thursday was marked by a grim reckoning over its colonial history, after more than 1,000 unmarked graves were found near former boarding schools for indigenous children.
Several cities across the country cancelled their traditional Canada Day celebrations, usually marked by fireworks and barbecues. The hashtag #CancelCanadaDay was trending on social media, and rallies in support of the indigenous community were held around the country.
The 154th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation came one day after 182 unmarked graves were found near a former boarding school in British Columbia where indigenous children were forcibly assimilated.
The discovery was the latest in a series that have outraged the country, with 751 similar graves found near a school in Marieval in western Saskatchewan province last week, and 215 found at the end of May at another school in Kamloops, British Columbia.
Until the 1990s, some 150,000 indigenous, Inuit and Metis youngsters were forcibly enrolled in the 139 schools, where students were physically and sexually abused by headmasters and teachers who stripped them of their culture and language.
More than 4,000 died of disease and neglect in the schools, according to a commission of inquiry that concluded Canada had committed “cultural genocide.”
“The horrific findings… have rightfully pressed us to reflect on our country’s historical failures, and the injustices that still exist for Indigenous peoples and many others in Canada,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement Thursday.
Canada prime minister Justin Trudeau.
“We as Canadians must be honest with ourselves about our past,” he said.
Days after the Kamloops discovery the city council of Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, voted unanimously to cancel their planned virtual celebrations.
In Toronto, demonstrators marched early Thursday wearing orange T-shirts in support of indigenous communities, many carrying signs with slogans such as “No pride in genocide.”
Thousands held a similar rally in Montreal with slogans like “Happy denial day.”
“I come here because I have small children and I think it’s important to send the message that we don’t want our children to be touched, to be mistreated,” said an emotional Therese Dube, 56, an indigenous woman from the Akikamekw nation and a survivor of one of the residential schools in Quebec.
April Courtney Kipling, a 29-year-old indigenous woman, came “to remember, to recognize all the children who will never go home.”
Others had a more pointed reason for showing up. “Canada Day is like celebrating genocide,” said Olivia Lya, a 22-year-old Innu woman.
“Anyone celebrating Canada on July 1 is celebrating oppression,” said Nakuset, co-organiser of the Montreal Native Women’s Shelter, in a statement.
Several indigenous people noted the presence of non-indigenous Canadians at the Montreal rally.
“It’s hopeful, it shows that people are listening,” said Nadine Bellerose Lavallee, a 50-year-old Metis woman.
A statue of Queen Victoria, the 19th century ruler of the British empire, was covered in red paint and toppled in Winnipeg, in the central Canadian province of Manitoba, while at least ten churches suffered damage in Calgary, in the western province of Alberta, local media reported.
The Canadian flag on the Peace Tower in Ottawa was flown at half-mast to honour indigenous children, as was the flag on the central tower of the Quebec National Assembly.
“This year, the tragic history of residential schools has overshadowed Canada Day celebrations,” said Quebec premier Francois Legault.
But opposition leader Erin O’Toole defended Canada Day. “The road to reconciliation does not start by tearing Canada down,” the Conservative leader said, admitting that Canada is “not a perfect country.”
“Akshay Kumar has donated Rs 1 crore for the construction of the school building in Neeru village of Tulail…reports Asian Lite News.
Star actor Akshay Kumar on Thursday visited remote Tulail area along the Line of Control (LoC) in Gurez Valley of Jammu and Kashmir’s Bandipora district. He has donated Rs 1 crore for a school building in remote Tulail village during the visit.
Famous Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar on Thursday visited remote Tulail along the Line of Control in Gurez valley of North Kashmir’s Bandipora district.(Photo: Nisar Malik /IANS)
The actor reached Neeru village by a helicopter around noon and thereafter started interaction with locals and the deployed security forces.
“Akshay Kumar has donated Rs 1 crore for the construction of the school building in Neeru village of Tulail.
Akshay Kumar (Twitter)
“He visited the area to boost the morale of the deployed army soldiers and the BSF troopers with whom he interacted for a long time.
“He also danced with the locals in the village who turned out to see and meet the actor. The function was organised by BSF troopers posted on an LoC post in Neeru village.
Akshay Kumar (Twitter)
“He has appreciated the army, BSF and the locals for leading hardy lives in the area braving heavy snowfall and extreme inaccessibility”, sources said.
