Devote maximum time on e-learning platforms: Khattar to students

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday urged the students to devote their maximum on e-learning platforms which would help them to continue with their studies even while staying at home during the lockdown.

He said that to ensure that students of government and private schools in Haryana do not suffer academic loss in view of the nationwide lockdown, new classes for 52 lakh students have been started since April 15 through cable and DTH channels under the distance education programme.

During his televised address to the people of the state on the COVID-19 situation, he interacted with students and teachers, and said uncertainty arising from the coronavirus-induced situation had greatly impacted the school and college students as they were not able to attend their classes.

He said that on March 18, the annual school examinations in the state were postponed and the schools were closed on March 19.

The new academic session generally starts from April 1 every year, but it could not be done this year due to the lockdown, so students had faced many uncertainties whether or not there would be exams or when they would get admission to the next class.

The chief minister said the state government had already decided to promote all the students studying from class I to XI grade to the next classes based on the results of the examinations that took place till March 18.

He said that after passing their Class X exams, each year the practice has been that in the month of July, about 60,000 to 70,000 students take admission in 172 government and 246 private Industrial Training Institutes of the state and the classes start from August month.

However, while on March 24, as all the ITIs were closed, theoretical studies were being conducted through phone and e-learning but classes for practical subjects will start after the lockdown, period ends, he said.

He shared that in ITI, there are total 81 trades, out of which in 30-35 trades there is a condition of passing the math and science examination in class Xth.

He said that if more time is takento conduct the science examination, then the government is considering to admit such students on a provisional basis, without appearing in science examination.

Khattar said that the final decision in this regard will be taken soon.

He said that private schools had been requested to take only one-month fee instead of three-month advance fees and also waive transportation charges in view of the lockdown.

He said that the teachers are distributing the dry ration to the children at their doorsteps under the mid-day meal programme.