Shut Since Mid-March, Bengal Schools, Colleges to Follow State Govt Advisory on Opening Classrooms

After Union Human Resources Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said that schools and colleges across the country could open after

August 15, authorities of such institutes in West Bengal on Tuesday said they will look for the recommendation of the state government in this regard.

State Education Minister Partha Chatterjee earlier said that schools and colleges of West Bengal will resume classroom teaching after June 30. The institutes are closed since March 16 because of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

"We will follow the advisory of the school education department and decide accordingly. Already three months have been lost. Taking online classes is not feasible in state-run schools for certain reasons," the headmaster of such a school in Kolkata said.

As of now, there is no update from the state government about extension of the "vacation caused by COVID- 19" after June 30, he said. "I think the authorities will take a decision in this regard at the appropriate time, he added.

General Secretary of Upacharya Parishad, the organisation of vice-chancellors of state universities, Subiresh Bhatattacharya, also said they will go by the decision of the higher education department about when to resume on-campus activities.

"We have already submitted our recommendations about various academic issues, including suspension of on-campus academic activities till June 30," he said.

Calcutta University Vice-Chancellor Sonali Chakraborty Banerjee expressed hope that pending final-year semester exams could be conducted, after minimising the possibility of large gatherings, within a month after the university reopens.

The Principal of a college in north Kolkata said class 10 and class 12 board examination results are slated to be out by July and August respectively, and any further pushing back the date of reopening of universities and colleges will throw the entire academic calendar in jeopardy.

"When will the under-graduate classes in different streams begin in that case? You cannot conduct everything online. Many of our students will be deprived then," the principal of the century-old co-educational college said.

Education Minister Partha Chatterjee could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.

Two days ago, Pokhriyal suggested in an interview that schools and colleges will reopen after August 15.