With the reopening of schools expected to be delayed due to the COVID-19 lockdown, which will reduce the number of working days, School Education Minister K.A. Sengottaiyan said on Thursday that any decision regarding reduction in syllabus load would be taken by a high-level committee headed by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami.
The Minister told mediapersons that the government was currently focusing on conducting Class X board exams, rescheduled to be held from June 15 to 25. “After the results are declared, the committee will consider the issues and decide on the matter for the welfare of students,” he said. Asked about postponing the exams until normalcy returns, the Minister said that students in many States had appeared for their exams and were awaiting results.
He said there was a three-fold increase in the number of exam centres — from 3,684 to 12,674 centres. “Students need not fear as adequate steps are taken at the centres,” he said. Asked whether special classes would be conducted for students in rural and hilly areas before the exams, the Minister said that online classes were on for the students while education TV channels were also available for them. To a question on private schools insisting parents to pay the fees, the Minister said the Department was yet to receive any complaints.
Members of the Tamil Nadu Primary School Teachers’ Association handed over a cheque of ₹1.06 crore, as a contribution to the Chief Minister’s COVID-19 Relief Fund, to the Minister. Grandmaster P. Iniyan also handed over a cheque of ₹90,900 towards the fund.
