----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, July 25, 2002 11:21 AM
Subject: HSTP - Update 14 (Question of local support)

 
Update - 14
July 25, 2002
Whether HSTP has any local support?
Do the people of Hoshangabad want HSTP to (dis)continue?
 
In the GoMP report on HSTP and at other places as well, it has been said time and again that the parents and children and teachers of Hoshangabad district do not want this programme to continue. We felt that the following information should be shared with everybody.
 
The following resolution was signed by about 1800 persons from all over the Hoshangabad and Harda districts by senior school students, college students, parents and teachers.

The District Planning Committee recommended to close down Hoshangabad Science Teaching Programme in Hoshangabad district on Feb 7, 2002. We not only believe but have also experienced during the last few years that " Learning by Doing" is the best and most interesting method of teaching Science - which is used in Hoshangabad Science Teaching Programme. So we request the District Planning Committee to review the decision and should recommend that the Hoshangabad Science Teaching Programme is continued.

We are also attaching a brief report on the spread and profile of this signature campaign and how it was discounted by the state bureaucracy.
 
 
News in Brief
  1. State govt. finally sent us a copy of the GoMP report and response to our letter dated July 8th on 22nd July. Both these are being circulated by the CMO (as in PMO) in response to the protest letters to CM. In case you have received any response from CMO and feel that there's something relevant that we should know, do please mark a copy to us.
  2. We still haven't received copy of the HSTP closure order from the state govt., neither any letter regarding the fate of the Social Science Teaching Programme.
  3. Prof. Krishna Kumar's article was carried by Janasatta on Sunday 21st July on edit page - 'Hoshangabad par Humla'.
  4. A number of articles are slated for the next week in Times of India, Dainik Bhaskar, Hindu, Nai Duniya, Sahara, Hindustan Times, EPW, Jansatta etc. Do keep a lookout. And try for other newspapers as well.
  5. Press conference was held on 18th July in constitution club, Delhi and was addressed by Profs. Yashpal, Anil Sadgopal, Harbans Mukhia, Jean Dreze and Vijaya Varma. Coverage hasn't been very good. We will circulate the press note and the individual statements later.
 
Rajesh Khindri, Kamal Mahendroo and others
For HSTP and Eklavya