Mysuru: Primary and Secondary Education Minister S. Suresh Kumar has ruled out any change in the date of re-opening of Schools and Colleges and said it would start from Jan. 1, 2021.

Talking to reporters here yesterday, he said the decision to re-open Schools and Colleges had been taken only after consulting COVID-19 Technical Advisory Committee members. Before finalising the date, meetings were held with Chief Executive Officers of all Zilla Panchayats, Block Education Officers and Deputy Directors of Department Instruction to elicit their opinion. Since a majority of them favoured re-opening of Schools and Colleges to conduct classes for 10th and 12th std. students in the wake of Board exams, the Government fixed Jan. 1, 2021 for re-opening. Discussions were also held in connection with Vidyagama programme for students from 6th to 9th std.

RT-PCR test for teachers

The Minister said RT-PCR test was mandatory for all teachers and they should get it done before 72 hours of re-opening of Schools and Colleges. They must wear face mask and shield while taking classes. Attending offline classes was not mandatory but those who wish to come to School or College must bring consent letter from parents, he added.

SSLC, PU Board exams will not be held in March

Suresh Kumar has clarified that the SSLC and PUC examinations will not be conducted in the month of March. 

Clearing the confusion regarding the SSLC and PUC examination dates for this academic year in the State, the Minister opined that the focus was to reopen schools and colleges in a safe manner.

“We are working on the syllabus so that it would not become a burden for students, especially for those students who are willing to take national level competitive exams, which will be finalised in the next few days,” he said. 

The Minister has also advised private schools to adopt Vidyagama, the continuous learning programme for school children, for the benefit of students of rural areas. 

He also assured that problems faced by private schools will be resolved very soon.