Summer vacations in schools may be moved forward, decision after final call on lockdown: Official
The feeling of being physically present in the school and interacting face to face with classmates and teachers is missing in online teaching.
With the increasing possibility of extention of lockdown in the country due to coronavirus disease outbreak, the government is trying its best to minimise the academic loss of students. Apart from plan to launch a web portal with study material for students from Class 1 in schools to those studying in colleges, the HRD ministry, has been encouraging schools to teach students through various methods like online classes and providing them online study materials.
However, online teaching has its advantages and disadvantages. The feeling of being physically present in the school and interacting face to face with classmates and teachers is missing in online teaching. The overall development of personality of the student also happens better in the school environment.
The government is therefore considering ways and means by which the loss of students due to lockdown can be brought to a minimum. As an important step in this direction, the government is considering the possibility of summer vacations being moved forward. Talking to Hindustan Times, an official of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), speaking on conditions of anonymity, said that the government is considering the possibility of schools moving their summer vacations forward. However, any decision regarding this can only come after the decision on extending lockdown is taken by the government.
When HT talked to another HRD ministry official about the possibility of the decision to move forward summer vacation in the schools, he said that such decisions are taken by the state governments in which the schools are located.
Meanwhile, Higher education sector regular University Grants Commission (UGC) has also formed an expert group comprising several VCs to look into academic loss incurred due to the coronavirus-inflicted lockdown and suggest ways to deal with it in the coming session. Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) run by the HRD Ministry, have already preponed their summer vacations. A similar decision has also already been taken by IIT Delhi. The IIT’s senate is expected to approve it.
