Goa education department recommends offline examinations for classes 10 & 12

Goa administration is also reviewing the COVID situation to reopen physical classes for higher secondary grades.

The Goa directorate of education has suggested that examinations for classes 10th and 12th should be held in an offline mode, with COVID-19 protocols in place. The directorate has pointed out that offline examinations can be easily conducted if students, teachers and staff wear masks, undergo thermal screening and use sanitisers. While a staggered seating arrangement has also been recommended to strengthen the defence, the state government is yet to take a final decision regarding the same, added reports.

Students may have an option to opt for online or offline classes

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As per the suggestions of the education department, offline classes can be resumed in all Goa districts that are currently COVID-free or have minimal cases. Regardless of the recommendations, the committee has decided upon continuing to run online classes for lower grades in schools across the state.

Notably, the decision of resuming physical classes for higher secondary is being reviewed by the state's advisory committee for COVID-19 for a few days now. It is also reported that till the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are not formulated for the working of schools, no declaration would be made.

Once the SOPs are established, students can either opt for online or offline classes, after consultation with their parents. A written consent letter by the parent or guardian will be made mandatory for a child to attend schools, added reports. Since students have lost a lot of their in-school education due to the pandemic, the state teachers' association is in favour of reopening physical classes for high schoolers.

Regulatory measures to curb the spread of the deadly virus

While the Goa administration lifted its statewide COVID curfew on September 19, after 6 months of repeated extensions, it has now lined up regular monitoring and checks to curb the spread of the infection. Previously, schools were allowed to operate in the offline mode by the state government, subject to the SOPs issued by the education board.

-With inputs from TOI.

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