Thiruvananthapuram: The Education Department has decided to start 52 additional batches for Plus-One courses in seven northern districts from Thrissur to Kasaragod. Most of the newly allotted batches are in the Humanities and Commerce streams.
There will be 30 additional batches in Malappuram, 20 in Kozhikode and 10 in Palakkad districts.
About 20 batches from districts like Pathanamthitta where there are surplus seats will be shifted to schools in other districts which are facing shortage of seats. Such shifting of batches are also being held district-wise.
The teachers, who taught students in the extra batches that are being shifted, will be transferred to other places only in the next academic year.
No Cabinet nod required
The decision to start additional Plus One batches was taken at the meeting chaired by Education Minister V Sivankutty. The order to this effect will be issued with the consent of the Chief Minister soon.
Since the State Cabinet had earlier given permission for starting additional Plus One batches, there is no need to leave the decision to the Cabinet again.
Classes will begin for new batches by December 15.
Though the earlier plan was to invite applications for school and combination transfer for Plus One admission from November 29, the move was postponed for another two or three days so as to accommodate the new batches in the process.
Junior teachers, guest lecturers
The services of junior teachers will be utilised maximum as part of the government's austerity measures. The guest lecturers will be appointed after calculating the remaining workload.
Time extension on three working days
The school timings will be extended till evening from December 15. For three working days, the class timings will be six hours from morning to evening. The timings are extended as it has been realised that it would be difficult to finish portions on time with only four months left for the end of this academic year.
The bio-bubble-based batches launched in schools as part of the COVID-19 precautionary measures would continue to function.