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Education News

lowing the lead of the BJP govern- since March 16 has caused children
ment at the Centre and amendment great stress and anxiety,” says K.
of s.16 of the Right of Children to Free Radha, founder of the Little Oxford
& Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, Matric Higher Secondary School,
2009, which prohibited any examina- Chennai, affiliated with the Tamil
tions and automatic promotion of all Nadu State Board of School Education
classes I-VIII children, had re-intro- Dr. K. Palanivelu, professor of
duced public exams for classes V and environmental studies at Anna Uni-
VIII children in the state and abolition versity, Chennai, concurs. “In this
of no-detention provision. crisis situation caused by the Co-
“The government’s announcement vid-19 pandemic, the decision of the
of automatic promotion of students AIADMK government to promote
to the next class has come as a wel- all students of classes I-IX is cor-
come relief. The Covid-19 outbreak rect. However there is a possibility
has already generated panic and fear that many students won’t touch their
across the state, and forcing children books at all. The process of preparing
to prepare for exams would have for public examinations is important
caused them greater anxiety. This de- as it improves students learning capa-
cision has come at the right time. At bility. When classes resume teachers
the same time it is the responsibility should teach intensively and continu-
of parents to find ways to ensure that ously test children to ensure they don’t
children learn at home on a daily basis fall behind,” says Palanivelu.
so that they are prepared for the next Shivani Chaturvedi (Chennai) following the TMC government’s
higher class,” says Arumainathan, swift and decisive action to halt the
president of the Tamil Nadu Parents WEST BENGAL spread of Covid-19 across West Ben-
Welfare Association. gal (pop. 91 million), the BJP and its
Although this decision has been Swift response loquacious leaders have disappeared
generally welcomed, the state gov- from Kolkata’s media.
ernment’s extension of promotions to plaudits Responding swiftly to the Co-
class IX students — the pre-amend- vid-19 pandemic, the TMC govern-
ment RTE Act covered classes I-VIII lthough neither chief minis- ment has ordered 300 ventilator ma-
(elementary school) children — is ter Mamata Banerjee nor any chines, 2 lakh masks, 3,000 gloves
being questioned. A large number of Aleader of the Trinamool Con- and 2 lakh test kits for citizens. In
under-prepared students will enter gress (TMC) has publicly articulated addition, chief minister Mamata
class X and will be obliged to write the it, the top brass of West Bengal’s rul- Banerjee issued orders to three gov-
class X school-leaving board exams ing party — a breakaway of the now ernment hospitals and five private
next March/April. The apprehension disintegrated Congress party which hospitals to conduct Covid-19 tests
is that a large percentage will fail the led India to independence from Brit- and reserve 2,500 beds for hospitali-
class X public exam of the state board ish rule 72 years ago — is viewing sation cases. As a result, medics and
next year. the Coronavirus aka Covid-19 threat hospitals have tested 88 samples and
“The current policy allows schools sweeping the country, as an oppor- placed 18,700 people under home
to detain academically weak children tunity. West Bengal’s legislative as- surveillance while recalling 2,500
if they perform poorly in class IX. sembly election is scheduled for next retired medical specialists, doctors,
Once the schools reopen we will hold summer 2021, and TMC’s chances nurses and paramedics to treat Co-
remedial classes for classes X and of winning a third consecutive term rona suspected and affected persons.
XII students to prepare them for the in Kolkata’s Nabanna — Bengal’s Although modest, given the state’s
2021 board exams. Right now because new administrative headquarters — massive 91 million population, these
schools are closed we are finding ways seemed an uphill task, given unprec- timely measures have shown good
and means to teach our students on edented surge in popular support for results. According to ICMR (Indian
online platforms. But online learning the BJP. Council for Medical Research, Delhi)
is less effective than classroom edu- In General Election 2019, the BJP the number of Covid-19 positive
cation. Secondly, children from low- won a never before 18 of West Ben- cases in West Bengal is 69 with seven
income households don’t have digi- gal’s 42 seats in Lok Sabha, Delhi, deaths against the national toll of
tal devices and Internet connection. reducing TMC’s tally from 39 won in 3,374 and 75 (April 4).
Therefore, the closure of all schools General Election 2014 to 22. But now Even West Bengal’s academics —

16 EDUCATIONWORLD APRIL 2020