KOLKATA: Many schools of the city are reopening on Monday, while some are due to start the new session next week. However, everyone has decided on a virtual restart for the time being, even for students of classes IX-XII. With
Covid cases on the rise, schools that had earlier decided to call senior kids to campus have decided against it.
Some schools have pushed back the resumption to next week because of the ongoing practical examinations on campus where additional teachers are required to ensure that all Covid protocols are maintained. However, all schools have shared their online timetables with students. Schools say that unlike last year, they are now more confident that teaching-learning will be seamless on the virtual platform. A lot of written work and assignments have been woven into the new routines to fill up the gaps noticed last time and periods have been earmarked for oral question-answer sessions.
“Things are still not favourable for a campus re-start and we are holding our board practicals now. But we have made our new routine extremely interactive and I am sure children will be happy to be “back”, albeit, virtually,” said
Heritage School principal Seema Sapru.
South Point School spokesperson Krishna Damani said, “We have sent a circular to students of classes IX-XII that we are going online for the moment.”
Though textbooks are being home delivered, it is taking a long time. But schools said they would go ahead with the re-opening without delay because teachers will get PDFs of chapters and digital links will be circulated on class WhatsApp groups. “Soft copies of all study material will be shared with students till they get text books,” said Meena Kak, director of
Lakshmipat Singhania Academy. “Digital versions will be shared with students who have not received text books yet,”said DPS Newtown principal Sonali Sen.
Birla High School has pushed back its re-opening from this Monday to the next. “We have re-designed our routine and have a lot of digital study material to make the virtual classes interesting,” said principal Loveleen Saigal.