The government has cancelled Dasara holidays for schools in the state. The holidays that spanned more than three weeks were to be from October 3 to October 26. The government has said the Vidyagama programme for government school students and online classes in private schools will continue.
The decision was announced on Thursday after Minister for Primary and Secondary Education S Suresh Kumar held a virtual discussion with primary, high school and pre-university officials.
The minister said that no decision that is detrimental to the health of the children will be taken. “As an education minister, I am the guardian of all children in the state. I too share the fear of parents for their wards. There is no urgency to start schools, nor is there any element of ‘prestige’ in opening schools now,” he said.On the start of offline classes for schoolers, the minister said the opinion of the public, educationists, private school administrators, parents and legislators will be sought.
An SOP is prepared to start the academic year. And some have assumed that as a cue that classes will start, he said, assuring that the government has not yet decided on the date to start offline classes. In a webinar with the minister, representatives of teachers and lecturers associations are said to have expressed their concerns about children slipping into child marriage, child labour and gambling, and being vulnerable to incidents of rape, without start of schools due to Covid-19.
Representatives reportedly suggested that classes should be started for class 10-12 students first, and then brought down to grade 7, and that Vidyagama was better held in schools. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan said that the date for opening schools and colleges will be announced soon after discussions with minister Suresh Kumar.The UGC has given directions about the start of colleges and the government is making preparations on those lines, he said.
