The Aided College Teachers' Association (ACTA) has said that it would be in the best interest of students if the State Government desists from formulating guidelines for online classes for 2021-22 academic year, at this point of time, citing the pandemic situation across the country.
In the wake of the Director of Collegiate Education inviting views of principals, teachers, representatives of Parent-Teacher Associations, student representatives and office-bearers of teachers' associations, the ACTA has made a representation to the State government stating that there were apprehensions in the minds of people that the worst was yet to come.
“There is a sure possibility of more extensions of lockdown. A comprehensive decision on arriving at the academic calendar and number of working days, conduct of classes and examinations can be taken only when the pandemic situation abates,” S. Sahaya Sathish, State general secretary, ACTA, said in a letter to the Director of Collegiate Education.
For the last one year, the colleges are conducting only online classes which are inaccessible to the rural and underprivileged students. Online classes and examinations can never be an alternative to the inter-personal classroom dynamics. “Only when the pandemic situation eases can any concrete and meaningful decision be taken on the issue,” Prof. Sahaya Sathish said, emphasising that any deliberation regarding the online mode of classes and examinations can be kept in abeyance.
The Tamil Nadu Government Collegiate Teachers’ Association has observed that online teaching can be only a temporary / stop-gap arrangement and not a viable substitute for face-to-face regular classes. The teaching-learning evaluation process must factor in the socio-economic constraints of the students, which includes factors such as Internet connectivity, physical endurance, psychological factors, and effectiveness of content delivery mode, the TNGDTA said.
The association has, however, given its views on the next course of action pertaining to conduct of online classes, the duration of the classes, use of digital tools, the approach to be adopted by the course teacher, the new method for Continuous Internal Assessment, dress code for teachers, assignments/homework for students, and grievance redressal mechanism.
The teachers’ associations submitted their views at online meetings convened by the Regional Joint Directors of Collegiate Education.
