The Tamil Nadu government is contemplating starting offline classes for primary and upper-primary levels, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi said in Tiruchi on Sunday.
Based on the observation of attendance and incidence of COVID-19 infection among students of Classes IX to XII and teachers for eight days (classes began at the start of this month), a call will be taken by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on starting offline lessons for students of other classes, Mr. Poyyamozhi said after honouring 13 teachers in the district with the State government’s Dr. Radhakrishnan Award for Best Teachers.
Students of Class IX were being oriented on the vital components of Class VIII portions in the form of a bridge course for 45 days. Primary-level education being of prime importance, the approach will be extended, he said.
Infected students
Students who had been infected with COVID-19 have been provided with medical assistance.
The classes to which they belonged had been disinfected and closed, so that others could continue unhindered, the Minister said.
The requirement of sanitary workers for proper maintenance of toilets in schools would be addressed, he added.
Mr. Mahesh said the schools were supposed to function for eight hours and that they could well utilise a convenient duration beyond 3.30 p.m. for conduct of Spoken English classes. The conduct of Spoken English classes pursued by the State government’s policy to adopt acceptable portions of the National Education Policy 2020 has generated wide appreciation, the Minister claimed. The initiative will be pursued in right earnest, particularly in rural parts of the State.
The Minister maintained that the sanction of ₹32,599 crore in the 2021-22 Budget for School Education was indeed high in a situation of financial crunch, when asked why it was lesser by ₹1,584 crore over the allocation made last year.
