Bengaluru: Vacation classes upset students

Bengaluru: With many schools conducting classes even during the peak of summer, when they are supposed to be officially closed for vacation, it has angered activists and other school bodies.

A class 10 student from a renowned city school said the classes during the season have taken a toll on them in many ways. “With the school conducting extra classes only for us, school buses are not available across all routes. Hence, walking to and fro and using other means of has added to the trouble even after feeling completely drained out at school, especially during the afternoon sessions,” said the student who was waiting for a metro back home at M.G. Road station.

Soumya (name changed), a teacher from a reputed CBSE school in the city claimed she was suffering from vocal cord disorders as she has to speak for hours in classes, now almost throughout the year.

“Earlier we used to get some voice rest at least for 30-40 days during summer vacation which has been curtailed now. Over the years, the number of students in each class has also increased, which demands us to exert more pressure while teaching in class to make our voices heard properly,” she said. Another teacher from a state syllabus-run school said that such ‘extended academic sessions’ have brought down the time she used to get to go on a vacation or a family summer trip. The Karnataka Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools (KAMS) has written a letter to the Principal Secretary of Primary and Secondary Education department complaining against schools that conduct classes throughout the year.

“Summer holidays provide opportunity for students to learn life values and to better their cognitive ability and social involvement. Better results are the only aim for even parents and they too share an equal responsibility in letting schools do so,” said D. Shashikumar, General Secretary, KAMS.

The association has also demanded the withdrawal of the recommendation letter sent by Commissioner for Public Instruction P.C. Jaffer mentioning that vacation can be used for remedial training. The private managements have also called for stringent actions against schools not following the calendar of events published by the education department.

On the other hand M. Srinivasan, president of the Managements of Independent CBSE Schools Association (MICSA) said that blaming schools for the same is totally illogical.

He opined that the freedom to hold classes should be given to individual schools. “Extra classes are held only for students who are preparing to appear for the board exams and this is done in consultation with parents,” he said. Some schools which may finish extra classes early might reopen in the third week of May while the others who continue a bit more would start the next session only by June, he clarified. Regarding teachers’ vacations, he said that schools have been doing nothing beyond their purview.