Even as schools await further guidelines on how students of Classes 9 to 11 who have been declared ‘all pass’ will be awarded marks, classes, evaluation tests and even extracurricular activities on a small scale are continuing across several campuses.
At the Madras Christian College Higher Secondary School, senior students have monthly tests and are expected to have an examination conducted based on their full syllabus at the end of the year.
“Classes are going on as planned for these students — just that the students now are free of any exam fear and are continuing to learn. Students of Class 11 in particular are already preparing for competitive exams such as NEET and these classes help them greatly,” said G.J. Manohar, Headmaster and Correspondent.
Career counselling sessions, coming up with class magazines, quiz and other extra-curricular activities which can be carried out with adequate physical distancing measures were now finding a place in the daily schedule of the students, Mr. Manohar added.
“Students are free of exam stress now and are eager to learn. For students from Classes 9 and 11, we are continuing with their daily lessons and taking care to focus especially on topics that they will need for Classes 10 and 12 respectively so that they can be strong in basic concepts,” said P. Saravanan, Headmaster, Chennai Higher Secondary School, Bunder Garden Street, Perambur. He further said that they were carrying out evaluations through regular slip-tests.
Many teachers are expecting that the guidelines to be issued on how to award marks for the year for students might be based on school-level assessments or examinations which have been conducted so far. Based on the lessons that have been completed since schools reopened in January, short assessments and unit tests are being conducted for the students in many institutions.
“We are still seeing an attendance of 85% students and apart from daily lessons, teachers are making use of this time to focus on giving students writing practice and activities to improve their communication,” said Tamil Nadu Teachers Association president P.K. Ilamaran.
Schools reopened for senior classes in January this year and students of Class 12 continue to prepare for their board examinations which are scheduled to begin in May.
