At a time when several private schools are reaching out to parents through mobile apps, instead of diaries, informing parents about their wards and regarding what is happening in the institution, government schools in the district do not even have the ‘luxury’ of normal school diaries.
In government schools — primary, middle, high and senior secondary — teachers write remarks and inform parents by writing in notebooks.
However, in private schools, apart from apps, teachers write remarks and homework in diaries, providing a single platform to parents to know about their ward. Barjinder Singh, incharge of Government Primary School, Dullay, said, “School diary is a very important document which helps maintain discipline in the institution as it helps a child remember his/her homework and also informs parents about it. It also provides a single platform to parents to keep a check on their wards, and improves interaction between teachers and parents.”
“Monitor diary which was introduced in 2008 was also a good move by the director general of school education, Punjab, but now nobody is bothered to start it again,” Singh added.
It has been l ear nt that till 2009, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) was providing monitor diaries to all government schools. The class monitor diary was started to keep a daily record of lectures delivered and homework allotted. But after 2009, the SSA stopped providing monitor diaries to schools.
Suresh Ghai, a parent, said, “My son is studying in government primary school, Sarih, and I have to check all his copies to know about his homework. However, in private schools, writing daily homework in diary is introduced from kindergarten. In absence of diaries, the government schools should conduct weekly parent-teacher meetings, instead of monthly, which will allow parents to know more about the performance of their children.”
Anoop Kumar Passi, principal of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Cemetery Road, said, “School diaries are the best source to inform parents about their child’s performance on a regular basis. But, it is unfortunate that in government schools the concept is missing. We have introduced monitor diary in the school from this academic session and all class monitors have been asked to submit their diaries daily to me.”
When contacted, Punjab education minister Sikander Singh Maluka said, “School diaries are important to maintain discipline in schools and we will start providing then in government school from next academic session.”