Several schools in the city are either going back to online classes or making adjustments in the class schedule from Monday because more teachers would be required to conduct the ICSE (Class X) semester 1 exams that begin from Monday.
ISC (Class XII) exams started last week and are under way.
More number of teachers are required for invigilation, maintaining the standard operating procedures on the campus for an exam during the pandemic.
They are also needed for checking and submission of marks that are scheduled on the campus after an exam.
To maintain the protocol, students have to sit spread across more rooms or halls, which necessitate more teachers for invigilation.
Schools are having to maintain the distancing protocol and staggered timing of entry and exit for the exams for which more number of teachers are required.
Teachers have been assigned duties to maintain the safety protocol.
La Martiniere for Boys, Rammohan Mission High School are going back to online classes for IX and XI.
Loreto Convent Entally has reduced a period in online class so that teachers can report for exam duty.
Julien Day School Kalyani said they would have to drop a few online classes and special classes would be given to students.
Calcutta Girls’ High School and Sri Sri Academy will observe for a few days before deciding on any change.
The ISC math exam that was scheduled on November 29 has been rescheduled to December 12.
“If respective subject teachers are not available then there is no point in giving substitute teachers. In fact, in an online class a teacher can assign work to students and leave for exam duties,” said John Stephen, the acting principal of La Martiniere for Boys.
During the pandemic students also cannot be left unattended in classrooms and protocol has to be maintained for which a teacher would be required, principals said.
“Since a bulk of teachers will be engaged in the exam duty we will have to drop a few classes and take special classes on Saturday or later,” said Terence John, the principal of Julien Day School Kalyani.
Teachers said that the priority of the schools would be to conduct the board exams and adjustments can be made for the rest of the classes to complete the syllabus.
Schools have had to engage more teachers for various duties. “We are tightly stretched but we will review the situation after a week,” said Suvina Shunglu, the principal of Sri Sri Academy.