Dispur to reschedule current academic year due to ongoing lockdown

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Assam Government has planned to reschedule the current academic year of the State to compensate students' losses due to the ongoing lockdown. The government has also declared May 1 to 31 as summer vacation for all schools, colleges and universities in the State.

Normally the academic year for students and schools under the Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA) and the Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC) starts in January and ends in December. In view of the ongoing lockdown the State Government has planned to extend the current academic year up to March, 2021 instead of December 2020.

"Barring Assam, majority of the States in the country start their academic year on April 1 of a particular year and end the same by March 31 in the next year. Assam can also do the same for this year to compensate academic losses. Since it is an academic matter, the government has not yet taken the final decision and sought views and suggestions from various stakeholders including teachers and students," Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said while addressing a press conference at NHM office here on Thursday evening.

While notifying summer vacation from May 1 to 31 for this year, Minister Sarma said that if the lockdown continues beyond May, the Higher Secondary (Science stream) final-year students could attend their nearest colleges instead of reporting to their original educational institutions in Guwahati and other districts. He further said that arrangements will also be made by school teachers to organize classes of five to six students in village courtyards in case the lockdown continues beyond a certain period.

On other hand, the Education Minister also said that the SEBA and AHSEC would announce the Matric or HSLC and HS examinations results by mid June. He added that in order to avoid rush and mass gatherings, both the education boards will declare the results digitally. Admission into different colleges in the State will also be conducted online this year. He also said that HS second year students would be able to collect their free textbooks from their respective schools on May 26, 27 and 28.

Sarma also stated that students from Assam stranded in different parts of the State could come to their homes at their costs; and the State Government would provide them subsidies. Students who come from South-West India will receive Rs 5,000 each followed by Rs 3,000 for students from North India and Rs 2,000 from East India.

The Minister added that the government would also engage students in various creative writing competitions during the lockdown and give awards to 10,000 students.

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