Unanswered Questions After Education Minister's Webinar

Education minister held a webinar to answer questions about board exams (file photo)

In a social media webinar held today, India's Education Minister answered some pertinent questions about CBSE board exams and delay in the new academic session which would ideally have started in April in schools. However, some questions which were posed through social media remained unanswered.

One of the questions that were repeated often on social media with the hashtag '#EducationMinisterGoesLive' was about private school teacher salaries.

Several teachers tweeted to the minister about how the schools will pay their salaries if the tuition fee is waived off. Some teachers said that they were working harder than usual to conduct classes online and make sure children don't miss out on their studies during the crisis time.

If school fee is waived off or deferred,
than how school will pay our salory #EducationMinisterGoesLive@DrRPNishank@HRDMinistry

— Deepak Kumar tandan (@Gobtech2) April 26, 2020

@DrRPNishank@HRDMinistry#EducationMinisterGoesLive
Dear Sir We are working harder in lockdown and teaching online.If school fee will not come or is waved off how my school will pay my salary? https://t.co/cd52Q5Upx1

— Preeti (@Preeti85091641) April 26, 2020

#EducationMinisterGoesLive@DrRPNishank@HRDMinistry

We are working harder to complete our tasks so that when the offices are opened out work is not hampered at all. If parents will not pay fees how will we get our salaries. https://t.co/sVeVosIfPt

— Umiya Khan (@khan_umiya) April 27, 2020

Another question that kept popping up was about NIOS Secondary and Senior Secondary examinations. Students asked about when they can expect NIOS exams resumption. Some even suggested that NIOS should promote students on the basis of internal assessment marks.

#NIOSDELED@CBSharma01@niostwit sir please try to conduct NIOS ON-DEMAND examination for senior secondary students please sir ????....it will be very helpful for all senior secondary students and secondary too sir...try to conduct ????????

— Raj kumar Agarwalla (@rk_agarwal15) April 24, 2020

Sir please do some thing for nios class 12 students. Nios is not giving any updates as regular updates of cbse are coming. Sir please do something otherwise our life will be destroyed ????????????????????#EducationMinisterGoesLive

— Kushpreet Singh (@Kushpre88014398) April 24, 2020

Another important query that emerged was about TEQIP III. As part of TEQIP III more than 1200 Highly Qualified Graduates from Premier Institutions were placed in Backward Areas to improve quality of Technical Education. TEQIP fellows asked the minister about what would happen to them after September 2020. Students also chimed in saying that they had been benefiting from the scheme and that the contracts of such teachers should be extended beyond September 2020.

#TEQIP_III_FACULTY we have been doing all possible hardwork then and even in this lockdown.
Using all the online medium to benifit the students so that not much is hampered in their education.The concern remains is ourFUTURE afterSEP2020.#EducationMinisterGoesLive@DrRPNishank

— Sunil Malviya (@sunilmalviya84) April 27, 2020

We #TEQIP_III_Faculties sharing notes, self made videos, clearing doubts through video calls, conducting tests, Using modern tool such as MOODLE, Edmodo, google classroom.
Sir What'll be the future of us after sep 2020?@DrRPNishank@PMOIndia@NITIAayog#EducationMinisterGoesLive

— Sanjeev Vishwakarma (@SanjeevJEC) April 26, 2020

Respected @DrRPNishank sir, I am student of SGSITS,Indore,and we are receiving soo much support and guidance,and lectures from our TEQIP faculty Mr.@KanhaiyaKumarYa sir, but the contract will end by sep 2020.
Renew the contract for welfare of students #EducationMinisterGoesLivehttps://t.co/kgd8rv08ng

— Vinayak Dwivedi (@Vinayak87787456) April 27, 2020

Another set of questions which remained unanswered was about validity of D.El.Ed. course from NCTE for recruitment of teachers. Several candidates in Bihar tweeted to the minister saying that Tripura High Court and Patna High Court had passed order in favor of NIOS D.El.Ed. degree holders and recruitment process should be held accordingly.

#EducationMinisterGoesLive@HRDMinistry@DrRPNishank.
Being the hrd minister you must address our problem.Two different courts @patnahighcourt and #Tripurahighcourt has declared #Niosdeled degree valid for fress appointments in spite of it we r being tourchered.Why?????????????

— Prince Gaurav (@imPrinceGaurav) April 26, 2020

#EducationMinisterGoesLive@HRDMinistry@DrRPNishank.
Being the hrd minister you must address our problem.Two different courts @patnahighcourt and @tripurahighcourt has declared #Niosdeled degree valid for fress appointments in spite of it we r being tourchered.Why?????????????

— Durganand Jha (@Durgana84951466) April 26, 2020

The minister had announced #EducationMinisterGoesLive webinar on Saturday, April 25, and had invited questions from parents about their children's studies and mental health during the lockdown. In the webinar which was held today, the Minister answered some long-standing questions on board exams and reiterated that exams would resume for 29 main subjects only after the lockdown is lifted. 

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