Commencement of 1st-year Plus II, UG classes hangs fire
BHUBANESWAR: The school and mass education department had planned to start Plus II first-year classes in the third week of December, but the changing Covid scenario and the emergence of a more infectious strain of the virus have forced the government to push back any such plans.
Admission to Plus II first-year courses was completed on October 17 last year but not a single class has been held. While the school and mass education department has decided to reopen schools for Class X and Class XII (Plus II second-year) students from January 8, it has not taken any decision regarding Plus II first-year classes.
School and mass education minister Samir Ranjan Dash told TOI on Saturday that a decision on this would be taken soon. “As the Plus II second-year students are going to appear for the board examinations from May 15, we are focusing on their offline theory and practical classes first. We will hold discussions with all the stakeholders about the first-year students issue and resolve it immediately,” he added.
Dash had earlier said Plus II first-year classes would start directly on campus, but a source said the government might opt for a combination of offline and online classes for the newcomers. The higher secondary schools have been holding online classes for Plus II second-year students so far.
“If the schools cannot hold offline classes, it should at least start online classes for the students. We have been waiting for classes to commence since October. Delay in starting classes will delay our educational year too. It will put immense pressure on us later,” said Abhimanyu Jana, student of a non-government higher secondary school.
The higher education department, too, is yet to take any decision regarding starting of Plus III first-year classes. The admission of the students has been more or less completed.
Basant Kumar Mallick, PG council chairman of Utkal University, said, “We will start classes online after the second week of January. We will follow the government’s directions,” he added.