COIMBATORE: The School Education Department has instructed all the Chief Educational Officers through an online meeting on Saturday to refrain from conducting special classes during the half-yearly exam break which will be starting from December 23.
The department took this decision based on a petition filed by the Tamil Nadu Post Graduate Teacher Association requesting the School Education Department to ask headmasters not to force them from conducting special classes for students during their vacations.
Mohamed Kaja Muhaideen, Tamil Nadu Post Graduate Teacher Association district president told TNIE, “According to the School Education Department’s standing order, schools should not conduct special classes for students during vacations. However, some headmasters, who are also vocational staff, are required to come to school and perform their daily routine work, considering this situation, some headmasters pressurise teachers to conduct special classes. Furthermore, some private schools are also conducting classes, which is a violation of the standing order. To prevent this, we filed a complaint with the school education department to ensure leaves are provided.”
C Kalaivani, a postgraduate teacher told TNIE that most of the schools have completed all the portions for students studying in Classes 10, 11, and 12. “If we give a break for students, they will come back refreshed and then they will be ready to attend their revision tests and prepare for their board exams,” she added.
Sources said that half-yearly leaves begin on December 23 and schools will reopen on January 2. When asked about it, S Kannappan, School Education Director told TNIE that he has instructed all the Chief Educational Officers to make sure that schools do not conduct special classes during the half-yearly leave.