‘Online class guidelines in a week’

Charge against Chennai teacher being probed: Minister

Guidelines for online classes will be framed and circulated in a week, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi said on Friday.

As for the sexual harassment charge against the teacher of a Chennai school, the police have taken up investigation. The Chief Educational Officer had sought an explanation, and anyone at fault would not go unpunished, he said.

School heads had mooted the formation of institution-wise Vishaka Committees [panels to deal with sexual harassment complaints]. All suggestions would be considered for working out the guidelines, Mr. Poyyamozhi told mediapersons after inspecting a vaccination camp for government and government-aided schoolteachers at the Government Syed Murthuza Higher Secondary School in Tiruchi.

At a meeting of State Education Ministers convened by the Centre, Tamil Nadu made it clear that deciding the dates for the Plus-Two examinations was the States’ prerogative. Tamil Nadu highlighted its stand from the perspective of State Board students. Public examinations would be conducted in the pen-and-paper mode, for three hours, after the Health Department signalled a decline in the rate of infection, he said.

Answering a question, he said there was no compulsion on schoolteachers to get themselves involved in COVID-19 prevention activities.

The School Education Department attuned its online interface for teaching and learning in sync with the shortcomings in digital connectivity in rural areas. Efforts would be made to overcome the issues in connectivity at some places, he said.