Thiruvananthapuram: The time is not yet ripe for resuming regular classes in the schools and colleges of Kerala even by adhering to social distancing norms, the state’s Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.

“There have been suggestions to start classes following the shift system. But still, the online method may have to be continued,” he added. Pinarayi also said that while his government focused on both education and safety, the bigger stress was on the latter.

“Discussions are being held at the national level on converting the next academic year into a ‘zero academic year’, under which studies and exams would be abolished. But the University Grants Commission (UGC) is yet to announce its decision on the matter,” said the Chief Minister.

Online classes

Referring to the situation in Kerala, he said most universities and colleges had completed their previous semesters online due to the pandemic. Meanwhile, the government was making all efforts to extend online education to every student, Pinarayi said.

“Regular timetables are followed for the online classes by the higher education institutions. While the Collegiate Education Director would ensure that the teachers conduct classes, it is the duty of the teachers to make students attend the online sessions,” he explained.

Further measures regarding online classes will be launched based on the directives of the Central government, according to the Chief Minister.

LLB courses

Regarding the three and five-year LLB courses, Pinarayi said that the Bar Council of India had announced that it would sanction batches of only 60 students this year. “As this directive of the Bar Council would lead to a loss of 240 seats in the four Law Colleges in Kerala, the state government has decided to start additional batches to overcome the shortfall,” said the Chief Minister.