Edu dept cracks down on schools holding classes during summer break

Chennai: Amidst soaring summer temperatures, the state school education department is clamping down on govt and private schools conducting special classes during the summer holidays.

This action follows a surge in complaints from parents regarding their children’s well-being in the intense heat.

School education secretary J Kumaragurubaran confirmed receiving reports of schools conducting classes.

These initial complaints surfaced in Virudhunagar district, prompting the department to instruct all chief and district education officers statewide to investigate schools within their jurisdictions, he said.

Summer holidays for govt, govt-aided, and private schools commenced on April 13. However, some schools across the state scheduled preparatory classes for the upcoming year and career counselling sessions. “We instructed chief education officers and district education officers across the state to verify these reports and ensure schools are adhering to summer break guidelines,” said Kumaragurubaran.

While recognising the value of these classes, he said, “Given the rising temperatures, it’s not the right time to conduct them in person.” He further added that schools found violating the guidelines would be issued warnings.

Govt school teachers said they conducted summer camps and NEET coaching sessions as soon as schools closed for the holidays. But those concluded on Saturday. “It is extremely hot. Students are not interested in stepping out. Parents, too, want the children to be at home,” said Janaki M, a govt high school teacher from Navalur.

While some parents found these classes beneficial, many students were unhappy, particularly due to the heat. “My son’s school conducted classes three times a week,” said Ambika Venugopal, a parent from Semmenchery. “While I didn’t mind, the heat was too much for him,” she added.

The school education department plans to transition to online resources for career counselling and other specialised classes, Kumaragurubaran said. “This would allow students to access this information from home and still enjoy their holidays,” he said.

Although government schools are still in the early stages of digitalisation, Kumaragurubaran said he is optimistic about implementing this transition within the next three to four months with proper teacher training.

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