The state secondary education board has tweaked the attendance schedule for students of classes IX to XII for on-campus classes.
According to a notification issued on Sunday, schools under the board and the higher secondary council will follow an odd-even pattern. Classes X and XII will attend physical classes three days a week — on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and classes IX and XI twice a week — on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The change was made following feedback from the heads of the institutions that attendance has started falling with many guardians not willing to send their wards to schools for long hours on all the days of the week, said officials.
A previous notice issued by the board on November 29 had said classes for IX to XII may be held every day as per revised school hours from Monday to Saturday.
Sunday’s notification says: “In order to maintain the distance norms, the academic classes for X and XII may be held on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Academic classes for IX and XI may be held on Tuesday and Thursday. Academic study matters on alternate non-schooling days shall be looked after by the school management”. There will be no classes on Saturdays.
Feedback sessions, awareness generation and orientation of guardians pertaining to Covid will be organised on Saturdays, the notification says.
An official of the school education department said although the notification has not been shared with private schools, these schools could implement the revised schedule if they want.
Several private schools in the city that are calling students of IX and XI have split the classes — half the strength are coming on alternate days. In some schools where consent forms had been sent, the number of students coming on any day is less than 50 per cent.
In most schools, classes X and XII are not being called for academic classes because of board exams.
According to the revised schedule, classes for IX to XII will be held from 10.50am to 4.30pm from Monday to Friday in all districts except in the hill sub-divisions of Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts.
“Academic classes in schools in the hill sub-divisions of Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts may commence from 9-30am to 3pm from Monday to Friday”, says the notification.
An official of the department said during a virtual meeting held with the heads of the institutions and district inspectors of schools on Friday, they received reports of a gradual decline in attendance since the reopening of the campuses on November 16.
“While the schools opened with an overall attendance of 72 per cent, by Thursday the attendance came down to 60 per cent. The heads of the institutions contended that the guardians were wary of sending their wards on all days, given that the pandemic has not subsided and cases are still being reported. So they wanted the attendance to be split,” he said.
Another official said many guardians were not comfortable with the idea of students of all the four classes on the campus on the same day.
Since classes X and XII students have to write on-campus exams in December, the guardians are exercising caution, he said.
On the alternate non-campus class days, schools have to make provisions for classes over digital platforms.
