Preparations on to resume physical classes: TN minister

TUTICORIN: The school education department is in the process of getting schools across the state ready for students of classes 9 to 12 from September 1, for conducting online classes for classes 1 to 8 and improve the infrastructure in government schools that have recorded an increase in enrolment.
School education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi told reporters at Tiruchendur in the district on Tuesday that students are depressed without attending schools. “We want children to go to school physically, starting with classes 9 to 12 after elaborate discussions with health experts,” he said.
Mahesh said that preliminary discussions on the standard operating procedure (SOP) were held in Chennai on Monday and will be finalised in a couple of days. Stating that SOP was prepared last year when there were discussions to reopen schools, he added they are being reviewed to check if any improvements need to be made. “It will be finalised in a day or two and will be informed through the chief education officers,” he said. He said that there were elaborate discussions on preparedness for the third wave. The draft document on reducing syllabus for this year is ready and will soon be signed and intimated, he added.
The department is equipping government schools with adequate teachers and classrooms as there is a surge in students enrolling from private schools. “We had 2,04,379 students enrolling in more than 40,000 government schools till last week as people are economically impacted by the pandemic. Around 20 to 40 students enrolled in many schools, while in some schools which had a strength of 300 last year has more than doubled to 700,” he said.
Admitting that very few government school students have access to smart phones and only around 60% students have network connectivity, he added that those in rural and tribal areas face network issues. He said that efforts were being made through the teachers to help them pursue learning and writing. Some teachers are going to a student’s place, gathering a handful of students from the locality and educating them. Those students with mobile phones are asked to share the assessment questions with others in their vicinity and get the answers written. “We are not 100% successful. It will take some time,” he added.