As Collectors of a few districts, including Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur, declared a holiday for schools and colleges on Tuesday following a downpour on Monday evening, teachers are worried about the academic calendar going haywire.
While schools in many coastal districts will have to grapple with completing the portions on time for the annual examination, particularly for students who will write their board examination, colleges and universities were worried about the extended rescheduling of semester examinations.
Most educational institutions in coastal districts, including Chennai, have been closed since Deepavali.
Some institutions had been converted into relief camps to accommodate thousands of people displaced by the floods.
“We have to complete portions as well give the students a few days of study holidays to prepare for the half yearly and pre-board revision exams which will follow. We have planned to give the students at least five days holidays during Christmas and New Year while making them work during all other days,” said the head of a school in Perumbakkam seeking anonymity.
While conducting classes during the Christmas vacation could be an option, Education department authorities pointed out that minority-run schools would find this unviable.
The principal of a CBSE school in Chennai said that they had received a circular from the CBSE regional office in Chennai on the direction of the Chennai District Collectorate, asking if they were ready to begin functioning from Tuesday.
“We had to state if the infrastructure and the school campus in general was fine after the rains since many schools had suffered damage. But the rains began again in the evening and we have declared a holiday,” he said.
“We had ordered schools to work on all Saturdays from November 21 onwards to compensate for the working days we lost recently,” said a senior official from the School Education Department.
With only three Saturdays remaining ahead of the half yearly examinations, the principal of a school in Tuticorin said the teachers had no alternative but to rush through the syllabus.
“Question papers prepared universally by the State government for the half yearly examinations will be ready and we are a bit concerned about how our students will score high marks now,” he said.
Exams postponed
Anna University has postponed semester examinations scheduled till November 28.
Examinations slated to be held between November 12 and 28 will be held from December 2 to 19, the university said.
Examinations at the Dr. Ambedkar Law University which were to be held on November 24 and 25 were postponed as well.
The district administration in Vellore also declared holidays for schools for six working days due to heavy rainfall.
Most educational institutions in coastal districts have been closed since Deepavali
