Workshop on Primary Education gets underway at Arithang Livelihood School

GANGTOK, 23 Jan: A five-day workshop for Certificate in Primary Education [Primary Teachers’ Training Course] was inaugurated by the Labour Department Secretary, CT Wangdi here at Arithang Livelihood School today.
A total of 54 trainees from different parts of the state are taking part in this workshop, which is being hosted by the Regal Institute of Management Studies [RIMS] with the support of the State Institute of Capacity Building [SICB], Karfectar.
In his inaugural address, Mr Wangdi stressed that as government jobs have reached a saturation point such skill development trainings were essential to equip the youth to take advantage of opportunities in and outside the state. It is a unique effort by the state to come forward and use its own resources to provide such workshops to its people by for skill development, he added.
In this regard, the Secretary urged the trainees to complete the training and to use the skills learnt. He pointed out that there are lots of opportunities in teaching in and outside the state and urged the trainees to take advantage of these opportunities.
SICB Chief Administrator, SD Dhakal gave a brief presentation on the role of teachers. He encouraged the trainees to be the ideal role models for students and stressed that a teacher should have leadership quality to lead students towards a creative and constructive path. He also spoke on the new skill requirements in the teaching profession and qualities of an ideal teacher.
Likewise, SICB Deputy Director, IBS Yadav presented the aims and objectives of the workshop. He informed that one of the objectives of the workshop is to develop knowledge and understanding of primary school curriculum and to develop skills and competencies required in teaching effectively.
The inaugural session was followed by the technical sessions of the workshop.
The technical part will also have plenary sessions for the trainees along with presentations, group discussions etc. The workshop has resource persons from SICB Karfectar and Arithang Livelihood School along with guest resource persons from Sikkim Government B Ed College, Soreong and the State Council of Educational Research & Training, HRDD.

Teachers undergoing TTI training demand full pay

7-MEMBER COMMITTEE SET UP BY HRDD YET TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE
GANGTOK, 02 Aug: A number of primary teachers and monastic teachers in the state are demanding full pay through the time they spend undergoing the requisite training as stipulated by the State government.
A number of primary and monastic teachers of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan were brought under regular establishment by HRDD in the pay scale of Rs. 4,200-110-6,400 w.e.f. 01 April 2009 on the condition that they complete a two-year TTI course from a recognized Institute within five years from the date of joining and the time taken to complete the course was to be treated as probation period. A number of primary teachers, as informed, are undergoing this 2 year diploma course at DIET.
The issue arises as such teachers under training are being provided half pay as was earlier decided by the government. There was a departmental directive that sanctioned the training period as study leave with provision of half pay. However, teachers undergoing training have been demanding full pay from the Department as they see their training not as study leave but as ‘in-service training’.
The two-year TTI passed certificate is a prerequisite for a primary teacher under the recruitment rules for Primary Teachers.
It has also come to light that another category of primary and monastic teachers undergoing 2 year TTI courses have been drawing full pay as they are simultaneously informed to be rendering their service in their respective schools. This set of teachers is informed to be undergoing their training from IGNOU distance mode.
The other set of primary and monastic teachers are undergoing training at DIET and are required to be present at the institute and so are not teaching in their respective schools and are receiving half pay. It is further informed that there is another set of senior primary teachers also attending the 2 year course at DIET who are being paid in full as they were appointed when the prerequisite of a 2 year TTI certificate was not required.
It is informed that a committee was set up in June 2012 by the department to look into the matter and address the grievance of the teachers getting half pay for their study leave. The aggrieved teachers have also made a representation to the state government for grant of full pay during their training period as they feel they are undergoing in-service training and not study leave. The committee is to recommend a solution for the government to take a policy decision on the matter.
The committee had a couple of meetings in July to sort out the issue but it is yet to be ascertained whether a resolution was finalized. In fact during one of the meetings, the committee noted that the department had supported the teachers by way of reserving 50 seats at a time in DIET to accommodate them for the course. This is a 7-member committee headed by the Additional Secretary, HRDD.

CRC Level Primary Teachers Training conducted at Kitam Sec School

NAMCHI, 06 Nov: The fourth day of the Cluster level Primary Teachers’ Training took place at Govt Secondary School Kitam, South Sikkim on 05 Nov under the direction of District authority of HRDD (South) to make primary teachers efficient and competent for the holistic development of students of elementary level, informs a press release.

CRC level Primary Teachers’ Training held at Kitam Sec School

NAMCHI, 23 Oct: Cluster-level Primary Teachers’ Training was held at Govt Secondary School Kitam, South Sikkim, yesterday following directions received from the district authority of HRDD (South), informs a press release.

No salary deduction during training period, CM assures West teachers

GANGTOK, 15 July: Primary school teachers of West Sikkim undergoing teacher training at Kyongsa DIET called on the Chief Minister, Pawan Chamling, when he was in West District headquarter town for Bhanu Jayanti celebrations on Wednesday, a press release informs.
Later, addressing a press conference at the DIET building, the teachers informed that the two-year teacher training at DIET was a crucial step towards achieving the Chief Minister’s vision of providing quality education in Sikkim.
They further informed that with regard to the issue of salary deduction during training period, the CM assured the teacher representatives that the deduction will not be made, the release informs.
The teachers have thanked the CM for this assurance and also conveyed their thanks to the area MLA, PL Subba for his support. 

Primary school teachers complete Quality Education training

SUBASH RAI
GANGTOK, 22 Feb: 298 primary school teachers from various government schools of Sikkim have completed the final phase of ‘Proficiency Development Training Programme’. Now, to see how well they deliver quality education in their classrooms.
These teachers- 120 from East district, 72 from West, 31 from North and 75 from South district recently completed their 3rd and the final phase of training here at Paljor Namgyal Girls’ Senior Secondary School recently.