No physical classes, only online classes from July 1 in Telangana

Given the Covid-19 pandemic situation, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has instructed to hold online classes for all students, Education Minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy said

Hyderabad: Starting July 1, online/digital classes will be conducted for Class I to PG students in the State and there will be no physical (offline) classes.

The decision, which has cleared the uncertainty and fear that gripped lakhs of parents and students across the State, was taken by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao here on Monday.

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Considering the Covid-19 situation, the Chief Minister had instructed officials to hold online/digital classes so that students do not lose an academic year, Education Minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy said, confirming that there would be no physical (offline) classes for students in the State.

The decision to reopen all educational institutions from July 1 was already taken, with orders accordingly being issued by the State government permitting opening of schools, junior and degree colleges and all other technical institutions in online mode on various digital, TV and T-SAT platforms from July 1.

The Minister, who held a review meeting with Education Department officials here on Monday, said online/digital classes would be telecast through Doordarshan and T-SAT network channels for schools and intermediate students.

Sabitha Indra Reddy said necessary directions would be issued to all District Collectors to make arrangements for utilisation of televisions in gram panchayat offices and libraries for students who do not have TV sets at their homes. For students who miss digital classes on Doordarshan and T-SAT network channels, the same would be made available on T-SAT App and Doordarshan YouTube channel, she said, adding that digital classes and worksheets would be hosted on the SCERT website https://scert.telangana.gov.in/ as well.

According to the Minister, conducting online/digital classes would benefit 27 lakh students in government schools across the State and almost 90 per cent of textbooks for students have been delivered to schools. All teachers have been instructed to clear doubts raised by students on lessons telecast through digital/online classes while nearly 75,000 WhatsApp groups created between students and teachers in government schools.

The Minister also said private schools would have to implement GO 46 for the academic year 2021-22 as well, which forbids them from increasing fee. They must collect tuition fee only on a monthly basis.

During the meeting, instructions were issued to officials to initiate strict action against private schools which violate Pragyata guidelines issued by the Central government for online classes. Fifty per cent of the teaching and non-teaching staff in all educational institutions have to be present in the institution. As final year students would be preparing for higher education abroad, there would not be any change in the final year degree, PG and diploma exams schedule, the Minister said, adding that there were no changes in the dates of various common entrance tests for admissions into various professional courses either.

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