Plan to start online classes for schools from June 1

Final decision on regular classes will be made at a later date

Pravesanotsavam this time may be different from what one witnesses on the first day of each school year.

Colourful classrooms, buntings and banners, and sweetmeats may elude students as they start the academic year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but the State is determined that all 40 lakh students studying in government and aided schools will get their first lesson on June 1 online.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, on Tuesday, announced during his press conference that online classes would get under way on June 1, while a final decision on regular classes would be made at a later date.

Telecast

Minister for General Education C. Ravindranath told

The Hindu that recording of first chapters of subjects for all classes except class 11 was under way for telecast through Victers channel.

“The academic year will begin on June 1. Modules are being prepared and classes will begin that day for all grades with a brief introduction by the Chief Minister,” the Minister said.

One subject will be taken up each day. For instance, for Plus Two students, classes will be held for an hour each in the morning and the afternoon. These will be shown again at night for the benefit of those who missed the earlier telecast or want to view them again. These will also be available on YouTube for downloads too.

The Minister said the idea was for teachers to view these classes from schools while students from home. After the class, using social media such as WhatsApp groups or the like, teachers could clear doubts, get feedback, and give assignments to students. A centralised online feedback system would also be created later.

He said they expected to reach out to 95% of the students through Victers channel. In the case of the remaining students, they could head to the nearby school to view these while conforming to the lockdown norms or go to a nearby library. Only in very distant areas could there be some hurdles. There, arrangements for providing downloaded material would be made. “The government is meticulously trying to attain 100% coverage.”