Having completed the process of admission of students for Class XI, teachers of government schools say they are clueless about how to keep them engaged in academics.
As per the official instructions, the admission of Plus One students was completed by the end of August. The classes are yet to officially commence for them.
Unlike in the case of Plus Two students for whom the teachers had uploaded study contents in the laptops given as freebies, the Plus One students find themselves left in the cold.
According to a senior higher secondary teacher, there has not been even telephonic interaction with students as yet. At present, the students are entirely dependent on the content delivered through the government-owned Kalvi Television channel.
Active engagement of Plus One students hinges on the early distribution of the laptops. But, that does not seem probable in the current circumstances, a headmaster observed.
Self-financing and aided institutions, on the other hand, are seemingly having a smooth sail as the subject content is being delivered for the Plus One students either in the school itself, in small batches, or through online platform, sources said.
There is a requirement of 200 working days in a year, in consonance with the quantum of content. Since a number of working days have been lost, the teachers are reconciled to the eventuality of having truncated portions. The government had, earlier this year, announced that 40% of the content will be reduced in consideration of the loss of working days. What the teachers look for from the government is early announcement of the finalised portions for the academic year.
“Teachers are in a apprehensive since the festival season ahead is bound to cause immense distraction for students. After that, teachers will be left with only a few months to complete the theory as well as practicals, besides conducting a series of revision tests in the place of quarterly and half-yearly exams. Therefore, the government must not delay announcing the truncated syllabi any longer,” another headmaster emphasised.
