KOCHI: The unbearably hot summer, incessant rain and the devastating flood doused the academic spirit and plans concocted by the schools as part of their endeavour to achieve cent per cent results. And with various religious and national holidays cropping up every other month, the situation worsened over time. The result: Teachers are forced to fly through the school portions. This has put students in a tight spot because they are compelled to keep pace with their teachers or else face the danger of being left behind!
Amrutha George, a class X student, today spends sleepless nights, fretting over the vast amount of portions that had been covered in a matter of days.
“The most difficult part is keeping track of what is being taught in a single day. By the time we cope up and realise that the chapter was on the industrial revolution, the teacher would have completed the next chapter. Studying the portions have become like a 100 m sprint event. As soon as the teachers enter the class, the students have to be all set. Once the chalk touches the board, the run begins and it is over in a matter of seconds,” she said. Students say they are finding it an uphill task to learn their portions.
Dan Varghese, a class XII student, too expresses a similar view. “The portions are vast and also very complicated. So when the teachers jump the gun and race to complete the lessons, students suffer. Of course one can’t blame them. All the holidays and the flood together have eaten into our classes. So, they are compelled to rush. I hope the lessons will become more clear once the revisions begin,” he said.
According to Jaya Sabin, principal, Greets Public School, portions have to be completed. “We have to conduct three exams for Class X and XII in order to award internal marks to the students. So, we have decided to conduct classes on all Saturdays for the class X and XII. Extra classes are also being conducted for class XII from 7 am to 8 am,” she said. “No extra classes are being conducted for other classes. Besides we hold mentoring classes after the school hours for class X and XII,” she added.
“Students always air complaints when it comes to their studies. It is normal for them to find faults with the teachers. However, once the regular classes for class X and XII are over, the revisions will begin and students will get enough and more time to get reacquainted with whatever they have learnt. Ultimately, we want our kids to ace their examinations and trounce others,” said Lakshmi Ramachandran, mentor, Global Public School. Meanwhile, the parents and students are worried about the approaching examinations and how it will be conducted.
According to Ibrahim Khan, president, CBSE management association, a meeting of the management representatives with the CBSE regional officer was held on Saturday. “The issue of the conduct of the examinations was raised at the meeting. It was suggested to hold class unit tests at a frequent interval and then to conduct a combined examination in December.
The regional officer will place the suggestion before the CBSE academic panel for consideration. We need to pursue alternatives or else our students will suffer,” he said. We hope a decision will be made soon, he added.
2018: A not so rosy year
Right from Nipah outbreak to heavy monsoon and finally floods, the year 2018 was a nightmare for students and teachers.
June
The month of June saw the outbreak of Nipah in Kozhikode district. The district administration was forced to declare a holiday for all schools. The schools shut on June 2 till June 12.
July
Heavy rain due to South West monsoon forced the government to close educational institutions in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam and Thrissur districts.
August
When the educational institutions reopened after a long hiatus the students were greeted by a combination of national holidays and festivals. However, the heavy rain and the subsequent opening of the dams opened the floodgates.
Twelve out of 14 districts in Kerala became submerged and educational institutions were closed. Many schools were converted into relief camps while many suffered infrastructure damage.
From August 15 to 29, educational institutions remained closed.
September
The month brings along another set of holidays setting the academic progress back yet again