the goan I network
PANAJI
The State government’s twin departments of education and higher education are considering a move to exempt teaching and non-teaching staff of schools, higher secondary schools and colleges, from reporting to their workplaces after the Centre advised a work-from-home protocol wherever possible.
Other than those faculty members and non-teaching staff in educational institutions who will be needed to ensure conduct of scheduled examinations from classes IX to XII, others will be permitted to stay home during the lockdown currently in operation for all educational institutions in the State. An official announcement is expected to be made in the next couple of days, a top official in the education ministry told The Goan.
Earlier last week, the State government had ordered a lockdown of the academic sector from midnight on Sunday-Monday right up to March 31.
Adhering to the government directive, the education department issued the notification shutting schools but asked teachers and non-teaching staff to continue to report to work and remain present on campuses.
Initially, the lockdown had exempted the conduct of examinations already scheduled. However, later the department did away with the examinations for classes I to VIII as for these classes, the State follows a ‘mass promotion’ policy.
Exams for classes IX to XII, including the two public examinations -- SSCE and HSSCE -- conducted by the Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Examination (GBSHSCE) were decreed to be held as per schedule.
