Tamil Nadu schools will not take shift classes | Photo credit: iStock Images
The Government of Tamil Nadu has ruled out shift classes or staggered class routines when schools reopen across the state and has reported that all classes will start operating simultaneously.
The states’ education minister, KA Sengottaiyan, hinted that there would be no gradual reopening in Tamil Nadu schools and that it would open simultaneously once the pandemic situation is under state control.
“All classes will start operating simultaneously when schools reopen in the state. There will be no classes in a shift as all schools have adequate infrastructure,” he told reporters on September 19, 2020. Related article | School reopening FAQ: Will schools reopen on September 21 in India? I have to go? What are POEs
He added that “schools are equipped with a sufficient number of classrooms to ensure the norms of social distancing.” When the lockdown was extended, the Tamil Nadu government had launched classes through its television channel for education and several private and assisted schools had switched to online mode to teach students. The Government’s main motive was to let the learning continue.
The minister spoke of the practical difficulties in conducting classes during the pandemic situation while addressing journalists. He said that to reduce the burden on children, the state government had also cut the school program for the current academic year, which is 2020-2021, by nearly 40 percent. The decision was made following the recommendation of the committee of experts, the minister reported.
Sengottaiyan also reported on another committee formed by the state government under the Commissioner of School Education, Sigy Thomas Vaidhyan. Its function is to evaluate and recommend a way forward for school education with the implementation of the New Educational Policy.
All schools and universities in the state of Tamil Nadu and the country have been closed since March 24, 2020. This year, many board exams were also postponed due to the pandemic. However, now, under the Unlock 4.0 guidelines, it has been announced that colleges and schools will partially reopen depending on the state’s analysis.
