Preparations on for School Reopening in Kerala, says Minister V Sivankutty

Source: Times of India

The state government has given in-principle nod to the officials concerned to prepare plans for the reopening of schools in the state. The final decision on the school reopening would be based on the Supreme Court verdict on Plus One examination, general education minister V Sivankutty said on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the state government has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court, requesting permission to conduct the Plus One examination in the conventional, offline, mode. The government pointed out the unavailability of computers and internet facilities for all students as the major reason for dropping the idea of online examination for Plus One students. The state also rejected the possibility of conducting the evaluation of students based on the marks they obtained in the model tests.

The apex court had on September 4 stayed the government decision to conduct the Plus One examination in the conventional mode, despite the steep rise in the number of Covid cases and amid concerns for the safety of students. The court has slammed the state government for not considering the safety of students at the thick of the pandemic crisis. The examination was set to start on September 6 and last till September 27.

Over three lakh students are supposed to attend the Plus One examination. Since the result of the Plus One examination has no academic sanctity for the two-year course, the government had invited widespread criticism from students, parents and a section of teachers for insisting on the offline examination, risking the health of unvaccinated children.

Also read: Kerala to Set up Expert Panel to Study Practicality of Reopening Schools