Mangaluru: The School Education Department has permitted schools in Dakshina Kannada district to conduct special classes during the upcoming Dasara vacation to compensate for holidays declared earlier due to heavy rain.

The permission follows requests from heads of various schools and Block Education Officers (BEOs) in the district seeking an opportunity to make up for instructional days lost because of rain-related holidays.

According to the directions issued by the district Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI), schools may conduct classes from October 3 to 7, subject to specified conditions. The arrangement is intended to help schools compensate for teaching days lost during the rain-related closures.

However, schools that choose to declare a holiday from October 3 will have to compensate for the rain holidays by conducting classes after Saturday afternoon, according to the department’s instructions.

Schools must obtain parental consent

The Education Department has laid down conditions for schools conducting special classes during the Dasara vacation.

Schools have been instructed to obtain written consent from parents before allowing students to attend the classes. The consent letters must be retained in the respective schools as official records.

The requirement is intended to ensure that parents are informed about the decision to conduct classes during the vacation and that schools maintain proper documentation of their consent.

School authorities have therefore been asked to complete the necessary process before students are called to attend the special classes.

SDMC meeting made mandatory

Schools conducting the special classes have also been directed to hold a meeting of the School Development and Monitoring Committee (SDMC).

The headmaster and assistant teachers must record the proceedings of the SDMC meeting, including the decision relating to the conduct of classes during the Dasara vacation.

The department has emphasised the need for schools to maintain proper records of the measures taken in connection with the special classes.

The SDMC meeting is expected to provide a formal record of the school’s decision and the arrangements made for students during the vacation period.

Details to be submitted to BEOs

Schools have also been instructed to submit details of the measures taken and the classes being conducted to their respective Block Education Officers.

The information must be submitted in writing, allowing the education authorities at the block level to monitor the implementation of the arrangement.

School authorities will therefore have to maintain records relating to parental consent, SDMC proceedings and the special classes conducted during the permitted period.

The instructions place responsibility on individual schools to ensure that the additional classes are organised in accordance with the conditions laid down by the Education Department.

Classes aimed at compensating for rain holidays

The decision comes after schools in Dakshina Kannada lost instructional days because of holidays declared in view of rain. The department has now provided an opportunity for schools to compensate for those lost working days during the Dasara vacation.

The permission, however, does not amount to an unrestricted direction for all schools to conduct classes. Schools have to follow the conditions prescribed by the district education authorities, including obtaining written parental consent and conducting the SDMC meeting.

Schools that decide not to conduct classes during the permitted period will have to follow the alternative arrangement specified by the department. Educational institutions declaring a holiday from October 3 must compensate for the rain holidays by conducting classes after Saturday afternoon.

Schools asked to follow department conditions

The instructions are intended to balance the need to compensate for lost instructional days with the requirement to maintain proper procedures while conducting classes during the vacation.

School heads and teachers have been asked to ensure that the decision is properly documented and that information is communicated to the respective BEOs.

With the Dasara vacation approaching, schools in Dakshina Kannada now have a defined framework for making up for the teaching days lost due to rain-related holidays. The arrangements from October 3 to 7 will be subject to parental consent, SDMC proceedings and reporting requirements prescribed by the Education Department.

The district education authorities are expected to monitor compliance through the respective Block Education Officers and ensure that schools follow the conditions while compensating for the lost instructional days.