Special classes likely to compensate lost school days

After remaining closed for a long time due to COVID lockdown, schools were reopened for students from Class 1 to Class 8 from November 1. However, many schools in several districts closed against the very next day due to heavy rain. Later, the State government extended the holidays after Deepavali. After the Meteorological Department has issued a forecast predicting more rains in the coming days, schools in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu were declared closed for two days starting from Monday.

“As the government is planning to conduct the revision test in December, especially for Class 10 to Class 12 students, these holidays will be compensated by either by extending the class hours or conducting special classes based on the requirement,” a senior official from the School Education Department told DT Next.

An oral instruction would be issued to all schools through district education officer in this regard, the official said, adding though orientation and counselling session will continue for couple of weeks more, regular classes might also be conducted simultaneously.

“However, managements and teachers, especially of private schools, would be instructed not to put pressure on the students. They were already told not to compel any student to be physically present in classes,” the official said.

Education officials at each district would also closely monitor the private schools to ensure that they do not violate the instruction, he said. “The managements of both government and private schools should also ensure that teachers were not availing leave without valid reasons. This would also apply to headmasters and correspondents,” he said.

Schools were also instructed to carry out cleaning works, including flushing out stagnant rainwater every day. Other standard operating procedure that are being followed in connection with the pandemic will remain unchanged, said the official. The noon meal scheme that was resumed after schools were reopened would continue, he added.