THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the state government deciding to start online classes from June 1, students and their parents are a relieved lot. High school students of government schools are apprehensive of how the portions can be completed on time when CBSE students are way ahead with online classes which already started by the second week of April.
There is still uncertainty on when the government schools will be re-opened. It all depends on how the state will be following the lockdown directive of the Central Government. Several suggestions have come up before the stakeholders which include dividing the students of a class into two shifts or else having classes on alternate dates with half the strength. Currently, the state government is hoping that schools can be re-opened by July where already it has been decided to kickstart the online classes for the students of government schools by June 1. But it is not easy as it sounds, K C Harikrishnan, general secretary, Kerala School Teachers Association (KSTA), told TNIE.
“Recently, we did a survey among students of state-run schools and we realised that still there are 2 to 3 lakh households in remote areas which lack TV sets. So in that case, it is going to be difficult to go ahead with online classes where most parents may not have smart phones. We are contemplating on holding talks with the local bodies on whether it is possible to provide them with TV sets,” said Harikrishnan.
Now talks have taken place only on holding the pending exams, valuation camps and also to provide training for the teachers before the commencement of online classes. But the state government has realised that to a certain extent the apprehension of the students and teachers on the school re-opening has been addressed. Arundhathi Binu, who is going to be a Xth grader at Karthika Tirunal Government Vocational and Higher Secondary School for Girls, Manacaud, told TNIE that she started her online coaching to make up for the lost time.
“There has been a hue and cry among my friends when we all realised that CBSE students had already started their online coaching. So my class teacher started giving us assignments through our parents’ WhatsApp numbers. My parents got me study materials from a private online app and so I feel that I am almost at par with my compatriots in CBSE schools,” she said. Sr Valsamma John, principal, St Joseph’s Public School at Kanjirapally, said that they had started their online coaching for Plus-II students during April itself. She said though it was a new trend or rather a culture to undertake online classes, it has since been picked up by the students and teachers alike.
Principals told to prepare promotion list till Class VIII
T’Puram: The state government has directed all school principals to prepare the promotion list of students from Class I to Class VIII. The school principals were asked to compile the list before May 20. As per the directive of Directorate of General Education, all the students of Class I to VIII should be promoted to the next class. The order in this regard has been sent to all school principals and headmasters. However, the promotion of Class IX students will be based on the marks obtained in the annual examinations and performance in mid-term examinations.
The principals are also instructed to make preparations for the valuation of Class IX annual examinations. A Shahjahan, general education secretary, told TNIE that the promotion list will also have the details of students who are the best performers as that students would be categorised in a separate list as many of them are entitled to secure various scholarships. He also said the government would take a final decision on starting regular classes by next week.