Hyderabad, February 25: With several academic days already lost due to the ongoing Telangana agitation, schools in the city have planned in advance to conduct next year’s classes this year itself after the annual examinations in March.
Several schools have sent circulars to parents stating that after the annual examinations in mid March, classes for next academic year will continue till April end before the summer vacation begins. The decision is apparently due to fears that the agitation will eat into the next year’s academic calendar as well with regular disruptions.
Parents of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan got circulars stating that the examinations will be held from March 8 to 18 and the final results will be given on March 31. However, students have to report in the school from April 1 to 20 for the new academic sessions.
Classes will be held from 8 a.m. to 12 noon. Summer holidays will begin from April 22 to June 12. Moreover, books and uniform for next year have to be purchased before March 29 itself.
Parents said they received similar circulars from Sister Nivedita School.
Other schools are said to have sent similar circulars and in some of them academic sessions will be held till April end. Parents of a school in Kukatpally said that this is the first time academic sessions of next year are being held this year itself.
“Though it may be against norms we are all in favour of it due to the ongoing agitation,” said a parent. “We have seen how our children have lost academic days this year and the government was least bothered to ensure schools are spared and children’s academic interests are protected,” said a government employee whose son is in fourth class in a private school.
Worried lot
Schools are apparently worried that they will be first to be targeted by agitators who feel closing educational institutions will put pressure on the government.
Schools are hopeful that the agitators will not target them during holidays to enable them to make up for the lost days.
This trend of conducting summer classes exists in corporate junior colleges but the purpose there is to finish class work in advance so that students can be prepared for the entrance examinations.
Despite warnings from the Board of Intermediate Education (BIE) colleges have been conducting the classes due to parental pressure.
–Agencies