The wait for students of class 10 from State board schools, who were to take up their SSLC exams in March, continues to be a long one. While the exams were supposed to start on March 27, schools were shut before that as a part of the measures taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

For students of other classes, schools have been conducting online sessions and using this time to tackle the syllabus for the upcoming academic year. “The focus for class 10 students however, is on revisions and short tests. We’ve drawn up revision schedules and invited students to interact with us voluntarily for these sessions,” said R. Visalakshi, president of the Tamil Nadu Private Schools Association.

With schools being shut for over a month now, Ms Visalakshi said that the interest among students to stay in touch with their lessons and continue to revise has been increasing. “We had initially expected that a fresh schedule for the exams would be announced after Tamil New Year. But with the lockdown having been extended, schools are taking steps to keep students motivated,” she added.

For government schools, especially in rural areas, it has been tougher for teachers to keep in touch with their students. “A few students who study well have contacted us and we’ve guided them on how to do some daily revision. Teachers are also trying to reach out to students through village heads and community leaders who can guide and motivate them to study and be prepared for the exams,” explained Patric Rhymend, general secretary, Tamil Nadu Graduate Teachers Federation.

Teachers from Corporation Schools in Chennai said that online study sessions for students of class 10 in their schools has been mooted through the Zoom app. For this, teachers have been asked to collect details of students who can attend these sessions.

“We are however worried about the students who do not have access to a smart phone or internet. While teachers are trying their best to get in touch with students through phone calls and enquire about their revisions, we want the Education Department to facilitate such revision of syllabus through programmes which can be aired on TV channels,” said P.K. Ilamaran, president of the Tamil Nadu Teachers Association.