Gujarat schools can adjust academic schedule after heavy rains, says official

Even as flooding due to recent heavy rains in south Gujarat districts disrupted classes in schools, efforts are being made to complete the syllabus so that students do not get adversely affected, officials said on Monday. Completing the syllabus remains the top priority for the state government's education department, they insisted. "According to the state curriculum, there is a requirement for 220 academic days. Apart from the standard winter and summer breaks, the local administration can adjust the schedule based on local circumstances, as completing the syllabus remains the priority," said Principal Secretary of the Education Department (Primary & Secondary Education), Milind Torawane.

Even after accounting for Sundays and summer and winter vacations, there are still plenty of working days available, which can be used to compensate for the loss of teaching time in schools due to downpour, he stated. "The priority is completing the syllabus rather than necessarily holding classes during holidays, so they make adjustments at their own discretion. There are no directives from the central level regarding this—it is up to them (schools) to manage their academic activities based on the local situation," the bureaucrat maintained. Several students also reported loss of their textbooks, which has been compensated by the education department as per information received from the rain-affected districts, Torawane stated. "The Education Minister had announced the replacement of lost textbooks at the time, and everyone has received them. Textbooks have been redistributed based on information received from the districts regarding the damage," he said.

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Nitin Sangwan, Collector of Valsad, one of the worst rain-affected districts, said schools had to be closed in the district due to flooding, but not significantly. "Schools can hold classes on Saturdays, which are usually off-days, to compensate for the lost time. Classes are affected whenever a 'red alert' is issued for heavy rains. As for those who lost their textbooks, the replacements have arrived, and the remaining ones will also be delivered soon," Sangwan said. He argued that if the need arises, schools can adjust the number of working days to complete the syllabus and meet mandatory academic days.

"Both private and government schools are free to conduct special classes to ensure the syllabus is covered. If the district panchayat deems it necessary, it can issue directives in this regard," the Collector maintained. Recent heavy rains in south Gujarat districts of Navsari, Valsad and Surat, among others, affected local population. Several people were killed in rain-related incidents and thousands others had to be relocated or rescued due to the downpour.