Government will take a decision on reopening of schools and colleges on April 14 after reviewing the coronavirus situation in the country, Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ said on Sunday.
In an interview to PTI, he said the safety of students andteachers is of utmost importance to the government and that his ministry isprepared to ensure there is no academic loss to students if educationalinstitutions needed to remain shut beyond April 14, when the ongoing 21-daylockdown is slated to end.
“It is difficult to take a decision at the moment. Wewill review the situation on April 14 and depending upon the circumstances, adecision will be taken on whether schools and colleges can be reopened now orhave to be closed for some more time,” Pokhriyal said when asked about hisMinistry’s post-lockdown plan.
“There are 34 crore students in the country, more thanAmerica’s population. They are our biggest treasure. Safety of students andteachers is of utmost importance to the government,” he added.
The 21-day nationwide lockdown ends on April 14. There havebeen indications from the government that the lockdown may not be extended.
Classes in schools and colleges were suspended and examspostponed even before the lockdown was announced on March 24, which came intoeffect from the next day. There are over 800 universities, 40,000 colleges and12,000 standalone Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs), besides 1.5 lakhschools in the country.
“The classes are already being conducted online usingvarious government platforms like Swayam and Diksha. The platforms are beingwidely accessed by students. We are prepared to ensure there is no academicloss to students if need arises to keep schools, colleges closed beyond April14. I am regularly reviewing the plan of action being followed by schools andcolleges during the lockdown,” the minister said.
Earlier this week, heinteracted with directors of 23 IITs and Vice Chancellors of Centraluniversities in separate video conferences
“I interacted with directors of IITs and appreciatedthem for the kind of COVID-19 related research that is being conducted atdifferent institutes. I also directed them to ensure that placements ofstudents who are in the final year are not affected due to the situation. Inthe coming weeks, I will interact with directors of NITs as well,” Nishanksaid.
The government alsoannounced earlier this week that the Central Board of Secondary Education(CBSE) will conduct pending exams for class 10 and 12 only in those 29 subjectswhich are crucial for promotion and admission to higher educationalinstituions. The board has also announced that it will not conduct pending class10 and 12 examinations in foreign countries due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“All students upto class 8 have been promoted. For class 9 and 11 students, schools have been asked to grade them as per their performance in internal assessment. For 29 crucial subjects, the board will conduct the exams. A plan is also ready for conducting pending exams and evaluation as soon as the situation improves and the lockdown is lifted. Students will be given at least a ten-day notice before the exams are conducted,” the Minister said.