State-run schools likely to conduct classes on alternate days post lockdown: WB Education Minister

The West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee has said that the state-run schools will conduct classed on alternate days to ensure social distancing norms are followed.

The West Bengal state-run schools will likely to have alternate days model once they re-open, to ensure that classes take place while adhering to social distancing norms, state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said.

When asked to elaborate on the "alternate model", he said details of it would be informed later. The alternate model envisages one set of students of a particular class will attend school on every alternate day, a source in the education department explained.

Private educational institutes are free to follow this schedule or they may go by their own timetable. However, the minister said that he expects that the private schools in the state will follow the government's decision.

"If a state-run school and a private school are situated in the same locality, the same yardstick should be applied to both, as students of the same locality will face a similar situation," Chatterjee said.

Earlier, he had announced that the schools in the state will reopen after June 30 instead of June 10. The dates have been revised as many schools will be used as quarantine centres for people returning from other state and also due to the extensive damage caused to thousands of school buildings in cyclone Amphan.

Talking about the students who will be appearing for the higher secondary (Class 12) examinations, he said, the education department will be arranging special buses for them. The remaining exams will be conducted on June 29, July 2 and July 6.

"The department will also ask the West Bengal Council for Higher Secondary Education to keep examination centres in the neighbourhood area of a candidate," he said.

The students who have appeared for  West Bengal class 10 board examination can expect the West Bengal Madhyamik Result 2020 within a month after exams for the pending papers are over.