Decision on reopening of schools after July 15: Goa CM Pramod Sawant

PANAJI: Chief minister Pramod Sawant said on Monday that the state government will take a decision after July 15 about starting the academic year. He said that Diwali and Christmas vacations would be curtailed to cover the syllabus.
The government has decided to promote all students studying in Classes IX and XI to Classes X and XII, respectively, Sawant said.
“The state government has not taken any decision to start the new academic year for the students. We will take a decision after July 15,” he said.
The chief minister, who also holds the education portfolio, held a meeting with secretary education, education director and Goa Headmasters’ Association and principals’ forum and some parent-teacher associations over the new academic year.
He said as there is no 100% internet connectivity in the state and all parents don’t have smartphones, the education department has never said that online and offline education is compulsory for students, but we have provided training to 11,000 teachers to keep the students occupied.
Referring to the online and offline initiatives taken by some schools, Sawant said that even if a student did not attend the online or offline classes, teachers will teach the entire syllabus to those students when classroom education resumes.
He said that the government is considering tie-ups with channels for online education and videos would be uploaded for offline education. “Parents should not panic if they don’t have a smartphone and think that their children will miss the syllabus. Nobody should buy a smartphone by taking loans,” the chief minister said.
He said that aided schools cannot ask parents to opt for online education.
Sawant said that the education department will issue a circular in the next few days making it compulsory for teachers to attend school. “Teachers should compulsorily go to schools and prepare student worksheets, take home work and distribute books,” he said.
He said that by the end of the month, students up to Class VIII will get their textbooks.
Reacting to reports that some schools are demanding donations for online classes, Sawant said, “If we get a complaint then action would be taken against that school. If somebody has already paid a donation then he should personally meet me and lodge the complaint.”
He said that it has come to the notice of the government that some people are taking donations in the name of pre-primary schools so that they will be given admission to join primary school of the same institute. “If we get complaints then we will act against those schools also,” he said.
Sawant said that only those schools that do not get grant-in-aid can take donations.