GUWAHATI: Assam education department on Thursday notified that the entire month of May will be treated as summer vacation and all educational institutes in the state will be allowed to re-open only from June 1 even if the third phase of the Covid-19 lockdown comes to an end on May 17 and is not extended further.
"We have decided that the period from May 1 to May 31 will be treated as summer vacation instead of the usual summer vacation in July. Even if the lockdown is brought to an end in this month, no educational institute will be allowed to re-open until May 31," state education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
If the lockdown is extended, these educational institutes will remain closed but there may be an exception for students of science stream in Class XII.
He added, "We are working on a new concept of starting classes for Class XII students of science stream. We are yet to finalise the blueprint but our idea is that if the lockdown continues beyond May 31, these Class 12 science students can attend classes at the college or school near their present place of stay. Even teachers can attend the nearest college or institute."
Sarma said that the education department also is considering pushing back the academic calendar in the state by three months to end by March 31 instead of the present practice of ending it on December 31.
"This year, if the academic calendar is extended by three months and if the academic session comes to an end on March 31, 2021 instead of December 31, 2020, our students will not face any losses due to the Covid-19 lockdown," Sarma said, adding this suggestion has been given by educationists to make the state's academic calendar to be same as the national calendar.
"Almost all states start their academic calendar in April and end it in March. It is only in Assam that we start in January and end in December," Sarma said. "The government does not want to take an arbitrary decision on this and so we are seeking opinion of the people. They may send their views to SEBA," he added.
Sarma also said that students of Class XII, who are given free books, have not been able to collect them because of the lockdown. "We have decided that on March 26, 27 and 28, they can get their books from their respective institutes."
"We have decided that the period from May 1 to May 31 will be treated as summer vacation instead of the usual summer vacation in July. Even if the lockdown is brought to an end in this month, no educational institute will be allowed to re-open until May 31," state education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
If the lockdown is extended, these educational institutes will remain closed but there may be an exception for students of science stream in Class XII.
He added, "We are working on a new concept of starting classes for Class XII students of science stream. We are yet to finalise the blueprint but our idea is that if the lockdown continues beyond May 31, these Class 12 science students can attend classes at the college or school near their present place of stay. Even teachers can attend the nearest college or institute."
Sarma said that the education department also is considering pushing back the academic calendar in the state by three months to end by March 31 instead of the present practice of ending it on December 31.
"This year, if the academic calendar is extended by three months and if the academic session comes to an end on March 31, 2021 instead of December 31, 2020, our students will not face any losses due to the Covid-19 lockdown," Sarma said, adding this suggestion has been given by educationists to make the state's academic calendar to be same as the national calendar.
"Almost all states start their academic calendar in April and end it in March. It is only in Assam that we start in January and end in December," Sarma said. "The government does not want to take an arbitrary decision on this and so we are seeking opinion of the people. They may send their views to SEBA," he added.
Sarma also said that students of Class XII, who are given free books, have not been able to collect them because of the lockdown. "We have decided that on March 26, 27 and 28, they can get their books from their respective institutes."
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