CHENNAI: With Tamil Nadu recording more than 1,000 Covid-19 cases for the second consecutive day, the State government on Saturday ordered for schools to be shut for Classes 9, 10 and 11 from Monday. The order was issued as Covid clusters emerged in a few schools. Students of Class 12, meanwhile, may attend school in accordance with safety protocols.
Their State Board exams will be conducted, and the Covid standard operating procedures will be implemented, the order said. Hostels too must be shut, and students sent back home, the government said, adding that online or digital education will continue for Classes 9, 10 and 11.
Class 10 public exams for other boards will be allowed, and special classes and opening of hostels for these students will be permitted. Teachers and school managements said a little learning was possible in the last two months, but the new wave of Covid-19 sparked panic among parents.
“Once the public exams were cancelled, students were excited to come to school. But their parents are scared to send them,” said PK Ilamaran, leader of the Tamil Nadu Teachers’ Association.
‘Vaccinate teachers & non-teaching staff’
A government school teacher from Thanjavur pointed out how parents panicked when a school in the region witnessed a Covid-19 cluster. “Since the exams were cancelled, they didn’t see the point of sending the children to school,” he said. Tamil Nadu Private Schools Association president R Visalakshi said the government should have given schools a couple of days to wind up operations and give students books for the next academic year.
“Since the students have been promoted, we wanted to start classes for the next academic year. Online classes are not very effective. Physical textbooks will at least give them a structure for personal learning,” she said, adding that the government should also vaccinate teachers and non-teaching staff on a priority basis. Schools were reopened in Tamil Nadu for Classes 10 and 12 on January 19; and for Classes 9 and 11 in February. Later that month, the State government declared that students of Classes 9 to 11 in State Board schools would be declared ‘all pass’ and promoted without any final exam.