Several government schools are holding classes on online platforms during the summer vacation, which this year started earlier than usual on May 2 because of a scorching heat spell.
The schools feel the students should not lose touch with studies and they need to be prepared for the summative tests that they have to write after the schools reopen on June 16.
A headmistress said the learning gaps that they detected in students based on their performance in the summative tests held last month should be addressed and online classes were the least they could do to plug the gaps.
The state government brought forward the start of the summer vacation to May 2 because of the heatwave-like conditions prevailing then.
The schools said they had left it to students to decide whether they intend to join the online classes.
Papia Singha Mahapratra, headmistress of Sakhawat Memorial Government Girls’ High School, said that unless the online classes were held, they would not be able to prepare the students for summative tests.
“The second summative tests are scheduled for July. They need to be prepared. Besides, the learning gaps that we detected after the first tests need to be addressed. Considering all these, we are holding online classes from May 6. The attendance has been impressive,” she said.
The students in the government and aided schools are assessed through a combination of three summative and three formative tests.
Debabrata Mukherjee, headmaster of Sanskrit Collegiate School, said they had been conducting online classes since May 11. “The guardians themselves told us to take steps so their wards don’t lose touch with studies during the vacation.”
The classes are a must for grooming the students before they write the next summative tests in August, he said.
Mukherjee said the state secondary education board had informed the schools that next year’s Madhyamik would be held on the entire syllabus.
Over the past two years the board exams were held on a truncated syllabus because of the closure of the campuses as a precaution against Covid.
“So, it is crucial for the Class X students to remain associated with studies,” said the headmaster.
Shampa Nayek, headmistress of Alipore Multipurpose Girls’ School, said they were holding online classes in subjects including Bengali, English, geography and mathematics.
“The lessons will be repeated once physical classes resume,” she told The Telegraph.