The state government has directed schools and junior colleges to celebrate November 7, the day in 1900 when Dr B R Ambedkar was admitted in school, as Students’ Day.
While educational institutes welcomed the move, authorities said celebrations will be a muted affair this year as schools are closed for Diwali holidays till November 8.”On November 7, 1900, Dr Ambedkar was admitted to Pratapsinh High School, Rajwada, Satara.His signature in the school register is maintained as a historical record even now.His school entry paved the way for education reform, due to which he went on to become the architect of the Constitution, which is hailed all over the world today. It changed the course of history,” the government resolution of Friday said.
School officials welcomed the idea but noted that they cannot cancel students’ holidays. “We will hold a small event this year. Dr Ambedkar is a personality whose work transcends caste boundaries.The more students know about him, the more they will be inspired,” said Ambarsingh Magar, principal of BMC secondary school in Colaba, and head of BMC school principals’ association.
“Since we will not have enough students to hold elocution and essay competitions (as recommended by government resolution), I plan to put together a documentary on Dr Ambedkar for the students. My only concern is how many days are we supposed to celebrate?
Teachers are burdened by non-academic work to an extent that they are not able to pay enough attention to students’ needs,” he said.
Prakash Ambedkar, Dr Ambedkar’s grandson and leader of the Bharatiya Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM), welcomed the decision.”Till now, we only had Children’s Day which is celebrated on November 14, Jawaharlal Nehru’s birthday. Now we have Students Day. Textbooks today have much in troductory material on Dr Ambedkar,” Prakash Ambedkar said.
State had earlier asked educational institutes to celebrate Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s birth anniversary on Tuesday. Schools and junior colleges in island city have been instructed to participate in `ekta daud’ (run for unity) event on Tuesday.
Courtesy : Mumbai Mirror 30 OCT 2017
