BENGALURU: Despite objections from the teaching fraternity, the Department of Pre-University Education (DPUE) has decided to start the academic year for second-year PU students early, on May 6. This has been objected to by PU teachers, who have threatened to protest if the state government insists on starting the academic year early.
S R Umashankar, principal secretary, Department of Primary and Secondary Education, said, “The academic year for PU II will begin on May 6. The chief minister has approved the file, and we will issue the calendar of events soon.”
This date is delayed by four days when compared to the calendar announced during the 2018-19 academic year. In 2018-19, classes for PU II started on May 2 and on May 14 for PU I.
Department officials say this is to prepare students on the lines of private colleges. Another reason is wanting to complete the final exams earlier due to the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.Students who have completed PU I exams will get 65 days vacation, and will be asked to return to college on May 6.
“The PU II exams will get over by March 18. We are hoping to complete evaluation by April first week,” said a senior department official.
Responding to the objections raised by teachers on the earlier commencement date, another department official said, “Teachers say they’ll get fewer holidays and will have to do evaluation work during their break. But for work done during vacation, they are getting paid an honorarium sum.”
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