Odisha mulls digital education in Government schools
BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Government is working out a comprehensive plan to push digital education in the schools as studies are getting hampered due to the lockdown. School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash said the unprecedented situation has compelled the Government to plan new ways to impart education to students by connecting teachers with students under the present circumstances.
“Once the lockdown is over, we will devise a plan to promote digital education to deal effectively with such situation in future,” he said. After schools and colleges were shut down in the State as part of the lockdown, many private educational institutions are taking to online classes to ensure smooth running of academic activities. However, the Government schools have not been able to do so due to unavailability of required infrastructure.
Delivery of books, supposed to be done on April 3, for the next academic session has been delayed. Books are with the block level officials and the Minister said he has asked officials concerned at the district level to ensure that those are distributed among students soon after the situation normalises. Promotion without exam for students of classes I to VIII Odisha Government has promoted students of Classes I to VIII to the next classes without examinations due to lockdown. The Minister said though his department had planned to introduce examination system at primary and UP level this year, it couldn’t be possible due to lockdown that forced the State Government to suspend classes and examinations till April 14.
Dash said decision on promotion of Class IX students is pending as the examination was suspended on March 17 with just one paper left. He said exams of remain papers of Plus II students will be conducted after situation normalises. The Plus II exams, scheduled to complete on March 28, postponed until further order in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Minister said the evaluation of answer sheets of HSC examination may begin after the lockdown is lifted.