Directorate of School Education, Jammu,  in a 14-point advisory issued during lockdown, has asked the private schools to refrain from conducting long hours of online classes regularly as it may affect the children's health.

“We have directed all the private schools that in case of online education, they shall not take regular classes of long duration everyday which may have ill affect on the health of the children,” Anuradha Gupta, Director School Education, Jammu here told UNI on Saturday while quoting the advisory issued to the schools.

She said the schools have been asked to devise a schedule for online, interactive classes in consultation with the representatives of Parents Associations.

Simultaneously, the Director said, all private schools have to lay down mechanism for providing education to their students through alternative methods as per the availability of facilities and the same be uploaded on their websites and shared with the directorate.

“In view of lockdown, need is felt for issuing advisory to private schools as well as parents of school going children to keep important aspects in mind while continuing with the online and distance education,” she expressed.

The Director further said that all private schools affiliated to any educational Board shall compile the data of their students who have accessibility to internet through smart phones or laptops and those who do not have access to internet facility but have TVs in their homes.

“The schools have also been told to prepare similar data in respect of students who have neither internet facility nor TV but only simple phone or don't even have any phone,” she said.

Ms Gupta asserted that the schools have also been directed not to focus on quick completion of syllabus, adding, “the Government is seized of the extraordinary circumstances and suitable decision regarding revision of academic calendar in consultation with the concerned Boards can be considered later.”

All private schools, she said, are advised not to be in a hurry to complete the syllabus by sending videos in large number and holding long classes through social media and children be asked to go through the limited number of videos and try to understand the concepts.

Ms Gupta added that children instead should be encouraged to write down their doubts and the same be clarified by the concerned teachers in the whatsapp groups of classes, adding, “the duration of online classes be decided mutually with the parents in the light of advice of doctors and experts on the subject”.

There is rich e-content developed by NCERT, CBSE, JKBOSE which is easily available on internet, links are also available on the website www.schedujammu.nic.in, she said and added, “the content available on DSEJ Home-classes is strictly as per curriculum of JKBOSE and can be accessed by schools which have not developed their own e-content”.

She further maintained that the schools have been asked to focus on areas which don’t require regular online classes like vocabulary development in English, Hindi, Urdu and one regional language, communication skills (written and oral), table learning, basic arithmetic, knowledge about local history and heritage, knowledge about pairing State under EBSB i.e. Tamil-Nadu, fitness routine for kids of different age groups.

She said, “all private schools have to nominate one official or a group of officials for formal registration of the grievances of the parents of their students and redress them in a time bound manner strictly as per laid rules and regulations,” adding, “in case the schools are not able to redress the grievance within the time notified by the school, parents can lodge a complaint to the Directorate along with documentary proof for further action.”

On being asked about mode of fee payment particularly during the lockdown, she said, “the schools are directed to display the fee structure of 2019­-20 on their websites and tuition fee being taken for the year 2020-21 and no fee except tuition fee shall be charged for the lockdown period”.

For transport fee, Ms Gupta said that the Government will issue a separate order and till then no transport fee shall be charged, she added asserting that if any parent has already deposited any fee except tuition fee, it shall be adjusted by the school in the fees payable for next months.

Besides, she however, expressed that schools shall notify list of subjects and books prescribed by the Board to which they are affiliated and no other subject or book shall be made mandatory.

“Under no circumstances, any school shall ask parents to buy books from a particular bookshop. The list of authorized book dealers selling the books of different boards shall be made available on our departmental website,” she said.

The Director also added that no school shall prescribe or ask any parent to buy books for pre-primary classes (Nursery/LKG/UKG), assignment/ homework given to any child shall not be forced or made mandatory.

“All private schools shall convey phone numbers of one authorized representative who shall be added in telegram groups to be created by the Directorate so that any grievance of parents shall be responded immediately,” she said.

Ms Gupta said the schools have also been asked to activate the parents associations of their schools, who will further have to nominate at least ten members and all pre-primary schools functioning without permission must immediately apply within fifteen days failing which they shall not be allowed to function.