Schools in Dakshina Kannada will have to conduct classes for the whole day on Saturdays from August 24 to November-end. It is to compensate for the loss of classes for about a week during rains earlier this month.
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Deputy Director of Public Instruction Y. Shivaramaiah issued an order to this effect on Tuesday.
Schools in Sullia, Puttur, and Belthangady educational blocks had been closed for seven days, while those in Mangaluru South, Mangaluru North, Bantwal and Moodbidri blocks were closed for six days. “We have planned to have full-day classes in Sullia, Puttur, and Belthangady for 14 Saturdays, while it will be for 12 Saturdays in the remaining four blocks, “Mr. Shivaramaiah told The Hindu .
“We have factored the mid-term vacation and planned to hold full-day classes on Saturdays till the end of November,” he said. Mr. Shivaramaiah said some schools were holding Saturday classes only for Class 10 students.
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“We decided to extend it for classes 1 to 9,” he said, and added that an official order to this effect was issued on Tuesday.
On reports about holding classes on Sundays, Mr. Shivaramaiah said it was just an apprehension among teachers.
Heavy rain, which led to swelling of rivers and landslips, led to closure of schools in Sullia, Puttur, and Belthangady blocks from August 5 to 12. Schools in the remaining four educational blocks were closed from August 6 to 12. These schools were closed following orders by Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil S.
Welcoming the move to hold classes on Saturdays, president of the Manglauru Secondary School Headmasters’ Association Aloysius D’Souza said similar step had been taken last year when there was loss of five working days because of rain. “We made up for the loss by holding full-day classes for 10 Saturdays,” he said.